Converting Monumental Landscapes to Human Dimensions: Ancient Community-Building Processes in Southern Honduras

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Problem of the Monument: Widening Perspectives on Monumentality in the Archaeology of the Isthmo-Colombian Area" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

A couple of years ago some good meaning citizens offered to donate complete ceramic pieces along with other objects they had “collected” from their properties to the regional campus of my university in southern Honduras. These same local citizens declared themselves a priori as descendants of the “Chorotega.” At these locations, a fairly high number of sherds could be observed mixed with construction debris, but without the authorization of the IHAH, I declined to make a more thoroughly inspection of the sites, or an appraisal of the pieces. However, I was mystified by a massive, incised boulder in Orocuina’s main plaza (Choluteca), which was clearly out of place. My guides told me of other locations where massive boulders had engravings, and others could be found directly on cliffs bordering watercourses. I did a preliminary survey, to find the locations were impressive because of the very monumentality of the landscape. Beyond that, it seemed as if the engravings in boulders and cliffs were enhancing significant geographical features and natural borders. I am persuaded to side with Notroff, Dietrich and Schmidt (2014), and venture to qualify these locations as monumental landmarks for the peoples involved in community buildings processes and group cooperation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Problem of the Monument: Widening Perspectives on Monumentality in the Archaeology of the Isthmo-Colombian Area   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38132.0