Interdisciplinary Investigations of the San Gabino Site, Chontales, Nicaragua

Summary

Excavations at the site of San Gabino took place in 2015 under the auspices of Proyecto Arqueológico Centro de Nicaragua (PACEN), directed by Dr. Alexander Geurds. Discovered during a systematic surface survey of the Mayales River subbasin, north of the town of Juigalpa, the site was selected for stratigraphic excavation due to the chronological significance of its surface finds, in particular colonial-period glazed ware pottery. Colonial wares proved absent elsewhere during the survey, making San Gabino integral to redefining the regional ceramic sequence, from the earliest occupations through to the colonial era. From incipient fieldwork to laboratory analysis, the research process has incorporated ceramic, botanical and zooarchaeological specialists. These collaborations have fostered a synthetic interpretation of this site and others within the survey area, of which San Gabino can be seen as one case study. This paper presents preliminary data on San Gabino, shedding light on the precolonial to early colonial transition in Central Nicaragua and providing an opportunity for reflection on the potential of interdisciplinary research in this area and beyond. Specifically, it examines how the combination of these distinct methodologies can elicit interpretations concerning multifaceted social phenomena, such as consumption practices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Nica News: Recent Archaeological Research in Nicaragua   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15969