Costa Rica Travel: The Chorotega Culture In Nicoya}

Costa Rica Travel: The Chorotega culture in Nicoya

by

Hortense Soulier

Located in Costa Ricas central peninsula, the political and cultural heart of the Guanacaste region, Nicoya, is one of the most pleasant cities in the area, with bright buildings and bustling streets which make for a friendly and laid-back atmosphere. Although Nicoya is actually a colonial city, very little remains of the original architecture. Today, it mostly serves as a transportation hub for tourists, as well as a base to explore the nearby Parque Nacional Barra Honda and Puerto Humo.

Nicoya, named after an indigenous Chorotega chief who welcomed Spanish conquistador Gil Gonzalez Davila in 1523, is a city filled with history. It was home to the Chorotega people, one of the most prominent pre-Columbian populations in the peninsula. Mening the Fleeing People, the Chorotega arrived in the region around the 8th century BC and are believed to be descendants of the Olmec from Mexico.They were also contemporaries of the Maya and a part of the cultural link which extended from Mexico to the Andes, through Central America.

The Chorotega were not really a building people, unlike many of their contemporary cultures. Therefore, most of the Chorotega history known today results from the interpretation of their artwork. Chorotegas were mostly known for their jade working, sculptures, and potteries. Although little is known about the Chorotega culture, most archeologists believe that they were a hierarchical and militaristic society, which had slaves, and practiced cannibalism and human sacrifice.

This 2,000 years old civilization was completely wiped out by the Spanish conquest, mostly from warfare and diseases. The only remnant of this intriguing people is their artwork, as their artisan traditions have survived. In Guaitil, a small town located a few kilometers from Nicoya, boasts an interesting pottery-making community which sells attractive ceramics made from local clays, using earthy red, cream and black colors in the ancient Chorotega style.

This guide to the history of the Chorogeta people was written by a

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Costa Rica Travel: The Chorotega culture in Nicoya}