The city of San Ramón was founded in 1856 but the land was inhabited long before that. Centuries before! The Huetar Indigenous tribe had a going civilization long before the arrival of Columbus and his compatriots.

Last month Roberto Arias began building a house on his land in Santiago de San Ramon when the bulldozer scraped aside a large, flat rock, uncovering a tomb. He stopped work to report the find to the OIJ which called in the National Museum. Archaeologists Ricardo Vasquez and Rony Jimenez spent the next week studying the scene and carefully, slowly, with bamboo spatulas, removed bones and other artefacts that had lain under the soil for 500 years.

It was a surprise for the archaeologists even though Costa Rica has claimed many ancient Indigenous sites. “Glass beads and a small bell showed that the Huetars had contact with the Spaniards. This was a meeting of the two cultures.” The beads were of a type made in Spain and Italy in the late sixteenth century and the bell was the type the Spaniards used on their horse harnesses, Vasquez explained.

“The bones were disarticulated and in a pile. There were at least three individuals and maybe up to six,” said Vasquez. There were no fragments of tissue or clothing so the bones had probably been moved to the site. “The tomb was made of flat rocks, called lajas and were probably carried from a quarry, Vasquez speculated. They fit together so well that they sealed the tomb. They found no dirt or debris inside but they did find pieces of ceramic pottery and a charred piece of corn.

According to Vasquez, the individuals were around thirty years old, one being a bit younger. This was considered an advanced age because “those were very harsh times.” Contact with the outside world brought new epidemics to the original population.

The Huetar tribe that lived in a large area of Alajuela province was one of many tribes in Costa Rica whose roots go back to an uncertain past. The Spaniards in their explorations crossed the isthmus of Panama on foot and built ships on the Pacific coast, said Vasquez. They began exploring inland in the late sixteenth century. What happened when the two sides met is up for guessing at this point but Vasquez says that this was an important event in Costa Rican history.

The artefacts now rest at the National Museum’s laboratory for further study and someday will be on display in one of the country’s museums. The tomb will go back to San Ramon for the museum there.

Because all historical discoveries belong to the national patrimony, Vasquez stressed that all finds be reported to the National Museum. Roberto Arias provided a big link in the national history even though it delayed his new house.

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.