The Human Burials of Conchal, Rivas, Nicaragua

Summary

The mounds of Conchal in Nicaragua were originally thought to be domestic refuse mounds, filled mostly with crushed shells and broken ceramics. Only upon excavation was it discovered that there were multiple individuals buried in the mounds. What did this mean to the inhabitants who lived here? Why were these individuals buried with refuse? Using an analogy from across the pond, it is believed that the individuals were not necessarily buried here purposefully. The individuals were possibly placed here to decompose, then interred in other parts of the site. Only, later the mounds grew in size and then became significant to the population; going from ordinary to extraordinary. This site began to hold meaning with the ancestors being nearby and the mounds giving the inhabitants visible markers of their territory. The populations of inhabitants past and present give this site meaning.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage