A Tale of Two Cities: Quelepa, El Salvador and Guayabo de Turrialba, Costa Rica

Summary

The art and structures of the ancient Central American sites of Quelepa in El Salvador and Guayabo de Turrialba in Costa Rica both suggest influence from afar by the late first millennium CE. Quelepa was restructured from what was likely a Lenca foundation to reflect possibly invasive Veracruz tastes, yet some Lenca elements were retained. Did both Lenca and Veracruz immigrants live together peacefully? What can art and architecture tell us of this possible merger, an instance of multiculturalism? Farther south in the highlands of Caribbean Costa Rica, the site of Guayabo de Turrialba was sculpted in the image of Colombian cities farther to the south or possibly vice versa. Yet Guayabo art retains traits of what is likely deep-seated ancient Huetar culture in this region, newly blended with Tairona styles. What can a comparison of these two sites reveal of mobility and multiculturalism in pre-Hispanic Central America?

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21234