Antiquity and sociocultural context of jade in Costa Rica: new archaeological data in the Gulf of Nicoya

A review of the funerary contexts of La Regla (P-30 LR) and Huiscoyol (P-1726 Hs), two archaeological sites located on the western side of the Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica, is presented. The artifactual assemblages at both sites are notable for the presence of flat tripod metates decorated with birds and Celtic-shaped pendants or "god-axe" bird. Twelve 14C dates from wood, charred remains, and human bones place this evidence in the range between 800-200 B.C., making them the oldest known jade-bearing contexts in Costa Rica. This information confirms that jade production in Costa Rica dates back to at least 500 B.C. In the same way, the cultural production attached to these contexts notices distinctive features that separate them from later developments. It is hoped that this evidence contributes in favor of better supported models on the insertion of jade and its effects on local social and ideological systems, as well as to clarify the nature of the early links with Mesoamerican and southern Central American populations.