Mi Museo y Vos Granada, Nicaragua. June 2014 Year 8 No. 28 THE ANCESTRAL WARS Mi Museo y Vos 1 Editor: Nora Zambrana Lacayo Writers: Table of Contents Oscar Pavón Sánchez Geoffrey McCafferty Pat Werner Edgar Espinoza Pérez Carrie L. Dennett Martha Barahona The Ancestral Wars ......................................................... 2 Recent Research in Nicaragua ..................................... 5 The investigation of San Jacinto: Two theories, orthodoxy, and the future of historical archaeology in Central America ............................................................ 7 The White Slip Ceramic Horizon of Early Postclassic Mexico and Central America ................ 20 Design and diagramation: Nora Zambrana Lacayo Antique furniture of Mi Museo ...................................... 31 English translation: Visits to Mi Museo .............................................................. 34 Linda Heatherly Owner: Peder Kolind www.mimuseo.org [email protected] www.facebook.com/mimuseo.granada The Development of Conflict them carried bows and arrows (not poi- soned) and others carried rods to throw." The Ancestral Wars Declarations of war were made via mes- Military items like these were used sengers. The cacique did not accompany throughout Mexico and Central America. the army into battle, unless he was an exceptionally brave man. The council of “Their shields are made of tree bark or ancients named a man distinguished by light wood, covered with feathers and his courage to lead the army. If this man handiwork fashioned of feathers and died and the cacique was present, the ca- cotton; thus they are very lightweight, cique immediately named a new leader pretty, and strong ... the lances end in or took command himself. Otherwise the a flint point, or in sharpened bone. The army disbanded immediately and retrea- lances are also made of canes (of which skilled smiths. In second rank were the ted. The military chief’s obligations were there are many in the lake)”. people, that is: warriors, businessmen, to direct battle operations and encourage farmers, hunters, fishermen, artisans, his men “to kill as many enemies as they Pedro Martir says that the temples ser- prostitutes, and beggars; in third rank could, and cut off arms, heads and other ved as arsenals where they could keep Oscar Pavón Sánchez were the slaves, and in the fourth, cap- parts of their opponents, and not to flee”. large quantities of weapons ready. tives of war. (Oviedo, loc. cit.) Archaeologist, Mi Museo After the battle, the cacique, if he was The Origins of the Wars Commenting on some of the military not accompanying the troops, went out goods that the Chorotega and Nicararo to meet them. If they had won a victory, The peoples of Nicaragua were often at tribes used, Oviedo notes that the abo- he received them with great displays of he theme of the new exposition at war among themselves and military arts riginals “were protected by sleeveless elation, and some of the captives were Mi Museo is the ancestral wars. The were well-developed. Young men were vests or breastplates made of cotton and sacrificed on the spot. If the army had T main purpose is that the visitors who carefully trained and organized in com- exceedingly strong wood, and many of been defeated, the cacique cried in view turn to the museum for information will panies which were on guard regularly learn about the history of our ancestors, and always ready for battle. history which as a whole has been forgot- ten. The display shows several tools of According to Tomas Ayon, various indige- war which may have been used in con- nous people practiced the art of war. For flicts, and pottery with designs we can in- these people, war was sacred. The pri- terpret which relate to the practices of war. mary reasons for war were religious and territorial, related to their cosmovision, Social Structure traditions and culture. According to historian Tomas Ayon, the Oviedo states that the primary causes of indigenous social structure had four le- war were territorial disputes (Book XLI I, vels. In first place came the nobles, inclu- Chapter III). However, probably the desi- Figure 1: Pottery with alluding decorations to military equipment, such as wooden bows and ding caciques, the council of elders, chief re to obtain slaves for sacrifice also pla- spears with flint points. Mi Museo Collection. captains, priests, market officials, and yed a role. 2 Mi Museo y Vos Mi Museo y Vos 3 of the troops, and the chief captains went Through participation in conflicts, wa- to the mound dedicated to sacrificial use rriors improved their family's reputation and “wept very bitter tears”. and prospects. Recent Research in Nicaragua The Gains to be earned The Punishments Geoffrey McCafferty University of Calgary Courage was rewarded with promotion Disobedience in combat was punished to various warrior ranks. A man who had severely. The man who disobeyed was defeated an enemy in single combat stripped of his weapons. He could be exi- seen by the two armies was part of the led and his military leader could even kill icaragua has experienced an up- Jennifer Lapp - Proyecto La Flor. group known as the "tapaliguis". Descri- him. surge in archaeological research bing a tapaligui, Oviedo says, “He wears Nin recent years. This has included Sharisse McCafferty and Geoffrey his hair shaven, with hair ofthe crown on both international researchers from Ca- McCafferty - Monumentality at top as high as the space between the nada, the Netherlands, Costa Rica, and Sonzapote, Nicaragua. high midpoint of the index finger to the the United States as well as the profes- end of the same.” (Oviedo, Book. XLII, sionalization of Nicaraguan archaeolo- Larry Steinbrenner - Managua Chapter 1) gists through graduate training and co- Polychrome: The Missing Link to llaboration with large projects. In April Mesoamerica? Oviedo recounts that apparently the 2014 a symposium at the Society for warriors could raise their social stan- American Archaeology in Austin, Texas Carrie Dennett - Getting to Know ding, acquire wealth, and successfully brought together scholars from diverse You: Ceramics and Identity in Greater distinguish themselves as counselors. Figure 2: Biface flint, used for personal backgrounds to discuss recent research Nicoya. protection. Mi Museo Collection. results and new interpretations. Discus- sants then commented on longer term Kelsey Friesen and Geoffrey McCafferty trajectories and led discussion of future - Recent Research concerning the References directions. X-ray Diffraction of Nicaraguan Ceramic Composition. Ayón, Tomás Participants: 1956 Historia de Nicaragua. Escuela Profesional de Artes Gráficas. Madrid. Jessica Manion - Memory and Clifford Brown - Recent Investigations Manipulation in the Greater Nicoya. Lothrop, Samuel K. in the Department of Chinandega, 2000 Cerámica de Costa Rica y Nicaragua vol. I. Traducción de Gonzalo Meneses Nicaragua. Kendra Philmon - Bioarchaeological Ocón. Colección Cultural de Centro América, Managua. Analysis of Cusirisna Cave, Nicaragua. Justin Lowrie - Chiquilistagua Archaeology Project First Season Gina Carroll - Investigating Isotopic Findings. Inter- and Intra-Skeletal Variation in Lesionous and Non-Lesionous Tissues Alexander Geurds - The Cuapa Phase: in Pathological Specimens from Notes on the Last Prehispanic Ceramic Nicaragua. Period in Central Nicaragua. 4 Mi Museo y Vos Mi Museo y Vos 5 Suzanne Baker - Enigmatic Pecked Features on Ometepe Island, The investigation of San Jacinto: Two Nicaragua. theories, orthodoxy, and the future of Katrina Kosyk - A Prelude: Aerophones from Pre-Columbian Greater Nicaragua. historical archaeology in Central America Adam Benfer - A Century in Stone: One Hundred Years of Lithic Analysis in Nicaragua. Fred Lange - Discussant Karen Olsen Bruhns – Discussant In July many of these scholars will pre- sent their ideas in a conference to be held in Nicaragua, with details to be an- nounced. This conference will also inclu- de Nicaraguan archaeologists, and will be open to the public. Pat Werner* and Edgar Espinoza Pérez** * Academic Dean. Keiser University Latín American Campus. **Member of the Academy of Geography and History of Nicaragua. The battle of San Jacinto was chosen ntroduction because there are contemporary reports, I and the site is intact and very accesible. The anniversary of the Battle of San Ja- The investigation began with the as- cinto September 14, 1856, is a national sumption that in the end there could be holiday celebrated everywhere in the re- no difference between what really happe- public. After working on pre-Columbian ned and what is found in the ground and subjects, the two authors decided to the physical remains of the battle. There examine a historic event and use both are two sources of information: published historical and archaeological methods to histories and the battle remains still lo- investigate conclusively what happened. cated near the mansion of San Jacinto. 6 Mi Museo y Vos Mi Museo y Vos 7 The basic published material is familiar to The Location of the Hacienda come from the part of the war carried out every student in school for the past six- by the leader of the troops stationed in ty years. Of the remains still at the site, Hacienda San Jacinto is about 45 kilome- the hacienda, Colonel Jose Dolores Es- nothing has been known. We thought ters from Managua, on the Panamerican trada, the report of William Walker that there were possibilities: the bullets in the Highway to the north, which connects was published in his magazine, El Nica- mansion walls and the common grave of the departments of Nicaraguan Segovia raguense, a week after the battle, the do- soldiers and filibusters who died in the and then turns about three kilometers to cuments of Francisco Ortega Arancibia, battle. We never found a common grave the east. It was constructed with adobe mayor of Masaya and soldier in the Na- but did indeed find bullets in the walls that walls and a pitched tile roof. The building tional War. Ortega Arancibia published were almost certainly discharged during is surrounded by roofed corridors and his book 50 years after the battle, and it the battle.