Rivas, Costa Rica
Encyclopedia
Rivas is a modern hamlet located in the General River Valley of Costa Rica
near the city of San Isidro. The town is positioned 1 kilometer north of where the Rio Buenavista and the Rio Chirripò Pacífico converge to form the Rio General. Rivas is located in the cantón of Pérez Zeledón in San José Province
. This town lies south of a mountain chain Cordillera de Talamanca
result of tectonic uplift between Cocos Plate
and Caribbean Plate
. This town is on the way to the Chirripó National Park
s are present throughout the area indicating the presence of an archaeological site.
Excavations at Rivas began in 1992 under the direction of Jeffrey Quilter (Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
, Harvard University
). His excavations identified structures similar to those found by Drolet at the site of Murciélago, Costa Rica.
Throughout the 6 year project at Rivas, Quilter identified several residential areas. Construction of these structures consisted of river cobble
s aligned in circular patterns of various sizes, typically with adjoining rectangular patios. The smallest structures measured 10m in diameter and the largest were up to 30m in diameter. Additional architectural features including paths, causeways, plazas, and stairways were also recorded throughout the site.
It is unclear what function that these structures served within the broader context of the site as a whole. The majority of ceramic
artifact
s found in these area were shattered and found on the exterior of these structures. Ceramic sherds were rarely found on the interior. This suggests that many of these structures were living areas where refuse pottery was swept outside.
Chiriqui period cemeteries located near the site may have corresponded to specific habitation areas within the Rivas population. Burials in these areas had no apparent pattern with regards to their placement and were distinguished by carefully placed river cobbles within a defined area. The quality and quantity of grave goods within these burials indicates a possible status differentiation between the two cemeteries. None of the graves contained gold or tumbaga
artifacts.
A separate, possibly ceremonial, area was also found at the site. Researchers originally thought that this area was a cemetery site because of the tomb-like concentrations of river cobbles. However, excavations proved that it was neither a cemetery nor a habitation area. A nearby staircase may have connected this portion of the site to the Panteón de La Reina on the overlying ridge. It was therefore concluded that this part of the site was probably an area where rituals were performed in preparation of burial on the ridge.
A total of 8,632 examples of stone artifacts were found at the Rivas site. Made primarily from andesite and basalt, all but 35 of these artifacts were chipped stone tools. The majority of these tools were classified as endscrapers and perforators. Ground stone artifacts were rarely found and consisted of one adze, 8 celts, and fractured remnants of manos and metates.
Several figurines made of solid clay and no larger than 7 cm tall were also uncovered. These figurines generally depicted women in a seated position with their legs extended and open. Often, these figures were found with the head broken off.
The excavations also discovered examples of ceramic musical instruments. One large fragmentary rattle was found in one of the cemeteries was shaped into the form of a squash blossom. A ceramic bead was encased in an open hollow of the instrument to create the desired musical affect. Two ceramic whistles were found at the site as well. One of them was in the form of a human head and was probably intended to be worn around the neck. The other whistle was in the form of a bird with folded wings and was one of the examples of animal figurines at the site.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
near the city of San Isidro. The town is positioned 1 kilometer north of where the Rio Buenavista and the Rio Chirripò Pacífico converge to form the Rio General. Rivas is located in the cantón of Pérez Zeledón in San José Province
San José Province
San José is a province of Costa Rica. It is located in the central part of the country, and borders the provinces of Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago, Limón and Puntarenas. The provincial capital is San José. The province covers an area of 4,965.9 km²...
. This town lies south of a mountain chain Cordillera de Talamanca
Cordillera de Talamanca
The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies on the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Much of the range and the area around it is included in the La Amistad International Park, which also is shared between the two countries....
result of tectonic uplift between Cocos Plate
Cocos Plate
The Cocos Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate beneath the Pacific Ocean off the west coast of Central America, named for Cocos Island, which rides upon it.-Geology:...
and Caribbean Plate
Caribbean Plate
The Caribbean Plate is a mostly oceanic tectonic plate underlying Central America and the Caribbean Sea off the north coast of South America....
. This town is on the way to the Chirripó National Park
Chirripó National Park
Chirripó National Park is located in the middle portion of the Talamanca Range of Costa Rica, approximately 30 km northeast from the city of San Isidro del General. It protects a number of important ecosystems on the Costa Rican Pacific slope and is notable for including the largest extension...
Archaeology
Originally discovered in the 1980s through archaeological surveys of the region by Robert Drolet, the Rivas site is one of 15 Chiriquí Period (AD 750-1500) archaeological sites known within the river valley. Although the site is covered with agricultural plots, numerous cobble house foundations and upright boulderBoulder
In geology, a boulder is a rock with grain size of usually no less than 256 mm diameter. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive....
s are present throughout the area indicating the presence of an archaeological site.
Excavations at Rivas began in 1992 under the direction of Jeffrey Quilter (Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology is a museum affiliated with Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest and largest museums focusing on anthropological material, and is particularly strong in New World ethnography and...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
). His excavations identified structures similar to those found by Drolet at the site of Murciélago, Costa Rica.
Throughout the 6 year project at Rivas, Quilter identified several residential areas. Construction of these structures consisted of river cobble
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
s aligned in circular patterns of various sizes, typically with adjoining rectangular patios. The smallest structures measured 10m in diameter and the largest were up to 30m in diameter. Additional architectural features including paths, causeways, plazas, and stairways were also recorded throughout the site.
It is unclear what function that these structures served within the broader context of the site as a whole. The majority of ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
artifact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s found in these area were shattered and found on the exterior of these structures. Ceramic sherds were rarely found on the interior. This suggests that many of these structures were living areas where refuse pottery was swept outside.
Chiriqui period cemeteries located near the site may have corresponded to specific habitation areas within the Rivas population. Burials in these areas had no apparent pattern with regards to their placement and were distinguished by carefully placed river cobbles within a defined area. The quality and quantity of grave goods within these burials indicates a possible status differentiation between the two cemeteries. None of the graves contained gold or tumbaga
Tumbaga
Tumbaga was the name given by Spaniards to a non-specific alloy of gold and copper which they found in widespread use in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and South America.-Composition and properties:...
artifacts.
A separate, possibly ceremonial, area was also found at the site. Researchers originally thought that this area was a cemetery site because of the tomb-like concentrations of river cobbles. However, excavations proved that it was neither a cemetery nor a habitation area. A nearby staircase may have connected this portion of the site to the Panteón de La Reina on the overlying ridge. It was therefore concluded that this part of the site was probably an area where rituals were performed in preparation of burial on the ridge.
Artifact assemblage
Over 600,000 ceramic pot sherds were recovered at the site of Rivas. The research team focused on diagnostic pieces, such as rims and decorated body sherds, in their collection efforts. Further examination showed that 60% of the rims and 72% of the other sherds were decorated in the Buenos Aries Polychrome tradition. This pottery style is generally considered to be "fiesta ware" of the Chiriquí Period in the chronology of Costa Rican art. The second-most represented ceramic style in the assemblage was classified as Red Wares composed of Sangria Red Fine and Turucaca White-On-Red styles.A total of 8,632 examples of stone artifacts were found at the Rivas site. Made primarily from andesite and basalt, all but 35 of these artifacts were chipped stone tools. The majority of these tools were classified as endscrapers and perforators. Ground stone artifacts were rarely found and consisted of one adze, 8 celts, and fractured remnants of manos and metates.
Several figurines made of solid clay and no larger than 7 cm tall were also uncovered. These figurines generally depicted women in a seated position with their legs extended and open. Often, these figures were found with the head broken off.
The excavations also discovered examples of ceramic musical instruments. One large fragmentary rattle was found in one of the cemeteries was shaped into the form of a squash blossom. A ceramic bead was encased in an open hollow of the instrument to create the desired musical affect. Two ceramic whistles were found at the site as well. One of them was in the form of a human head and was probably intended to be worn around the neck. The other whistle was in the form of a bird with folded wings and was one of the examples of animal figurines at the site.
Sources
- Archaeology of the Rivas Region, Nicaragua. By Paul F. Healy, Mary Pohl.
- Cobble circles and standing stones: archaeology at the Rivas Site, Costa Rica. By Jeffrey Quilter.