Exploring the Social and Political Dynamics of Power Centers in Central Pacific Costa Rica

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Central Pacific region is one of the least explored areas of Costa Rican archaeology. Recent research conducted at Lomas Entierros and Sardinal sites allow us to contribute to the understanding of the history of occupation in the area, but also to consider the emergence, occupation and abandonment of prominent political centers inhabited during AD 300-1500. While Lomas Entierros, in the lower Tárcoles basin, had a long and permanent occupation for over a millennium, Sardinal was only occupied for 500 years, after which another complex site, Pozo Azul, became the primary center of the Parrita river basin. Both rivers were main entrances to the chiefdoms located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica and were the communication and trading routes during this time. It is not clear yet which factors may have shifted the social and economic dynamics in the region, but we consider the interest in foreign objects, warfare over territory and resources, changes on economic or subsistence activities, etc. We present preliminary results based on household data from both sites to study the result of political and economic fluctuations on household economies as well as the possible variables that boosted social change in these important political centers.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23806