Pottery of the Department of Chinandega, Nicaragua: Sequence, External Connections, Ethnicity, and Migration.

Summary

I summarize the archaeological ceramics recovered from our excavations in the Department of Chinandega, in northwest Nicaragua. Our analysis is still in an early stage, and we have studied mainly collections from sites on the coastal plain, in the southern half of the Department. We have found Late Preclassic ceramic assemblages intimately linked to those described for Quelepa, Chalchuapa, and Santa Leticia in El Salvador. We have also found Terminal Classic to Early Postclassic assemblages with links to southern Mesoamerica, as illustrated by the presence of Las Vegas Polychrome and Plumbate ware. We have so far identified only a few examples of Classic period pottery, such as Chaparrastique Red-on-orange and Campana Fine Line Polychrome. We have developed a partial ceramic sequence for the region. The links to the Maya area are surprisingly strong in the Preclassic, while links to southern Mesoamerica continue throughout the sequence. I discuss ceramic evidence for the Epiclassic Chorotega migration to the area.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Cerámica sin Fronteras: Defining Cultural Phenomena at the Intersection of Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua

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