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Mesoamerican iron-ore mirrors found in Costa Rica: unraveling the interaction between the Chibcha and Maya regions
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 September 2023
Abstract
Nearly 60 complete or fragmentary slate backings from iron-ore mirrors have been found in pre-Columbian funerary contexts in northern Costa Rica, including a couple that bear Maya hieroglyphic inscriptions. With the exception of a single example dating between a.d. 800 and 1550, these slate objects typically occur in contexts dating from 300 b.c. to a.d. 500–600. Recent geochemical analyses indicate foreign production of these artifacts, likely in the Maya area, where slate-backed iron-ore mirrors were related to power, shamanism, and divination, and were manufactured by highly specialized artisans working under the patronage of members of the elite, particularly in the Classic period. In this article we address the question of when, how, and why mirrors from Mesoamerica made their way to Costa Rica and, ultimately, into the funerary contexts from which they have been recovered. To that end, we analyze the regions, contexts, style, and chronology of these Costa Rican examples and compare them with contemporary styles and contexts in the Maya area, including a reinterpretation of one mirror-back presenting hieroglyphic inscriptions. Finally, we explore potential distribution routes and the potential mechanisms of exchange that existed between these distant, yet somehow related areas.
Resumen
En el territorio norte de Costa Rica, se han encontrado—por huaqueros y, minoritariamente, por arqueólogos—cerca de 60 bases de pizarra para espejos de pirita, todos en contextos funerarios que en su mayoría contenían adornos de jade. Los pueblos chibchas que habitaban ese territorio desarrollaron la manufactura de joyería de jade alrededor del 500 a.C., para lo cual utilizaron materiales locales y en menor medida jadeíta de Motagua, lo cual requería una interacción con el área maya que precedió el intercambio de espejos.
La mayoría de los espejos se hallan en contextos de los 300 a.C. a los 500–600 d.C., pero prioritariamente de los 300 a los 500–600 d.C., con la única excepción de uno que fue depositado en una tumba del período de los 800–1550 d.C. en el sitio Orosí, cerca de la actual ciudad de Cartago. Estudios geoquímicos de estos artefactos hallados en el sitio Sojo, en la cordillera de Guanacaste, indicaron que tanto los materiales utilizados como las técnicas de manufactura no correspondían con aquellas de los artesanos chibchas. La presencia en otros sitios de espejos con textos jeroglíficos maya del período clásico indica que estos provinieron del territorio maya, donde estos artefactos estaban asociados al poder y a las prácticas chamanistas de adivinación. Su manufactura fue realizada por artesanos altamente especializados que, probablemente, trabajaban bajo la tutela de gobernantes y miembros de la elite. Aquí se ofrece una interpretación del texto inscrito en el denominado espejo de Bagaces, que muestra relaciones de poder y alianza entre gobernantes maya.
En este artículo analizamos los sitios arqueológicos de Costa Rica, en los cuales los arqueólogos han descrito o excavado contextos con espejos, lo cual permite explorar si hay relaciones entre el tipo de sitio y las características de los espejos allí depositados. Buscamos dar respuesta a las preguntas de cuándo, cómo y por qué llegaron estos espejos provenientes del área maya.
Se sugiere la navegación como principal medio para el traslado de los espejos y se sugieren bienes que podrían haber motivado a los maya a establecer relaciones de intercambio con los chibcha.
Keywords
- Type
- Special Section: Recent Research on Iron Ore Mirrors in Mesoamerica and Central America
- Information
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press
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