THE ANCESTORS ABOVE, THE PEOPLE BELOW: CEMETERIES, LANDSCAPE AND DUAL ORGANIZATION IN LATE PRE-COLUMBIAN COSTA RICA by R. Jeffrey Frost A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Anthropology) at the UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON 2009 UMI Number: 3400007 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI' Dissertation Publishing UMI 3400007 Copyright 2010 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 A dissertation entitled The Ancestors Above, The People Below: Cemeteries, Landscape, and Dual Organization in Late Pre-Columbian Costa Rica submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Roger Jeffrey Frost Date of Final Oral Examination: 0ctober 2' 2009 Month & Year Degree to be awarded: December 2009 May August •it************************************************************************************************ Signatures of Dissertation Committee J f no A0) Signature, Dean of Graduate School n&jfin QekmO^A, w i CONTENTS Contents i List of Figures iv List of Tables vi Acknowledgements vii Abstract xii 1. Introduction 1 Chiefdoms 3 Sociopolitical Organization in Greater Chiriqui 6 Dissertation Outline 10 2. Environment and Culture History of Greater Chiriqui 13 Introduction 13 Defining Greater Chiriqui 13 Natural Setting 16 A Culture History of Greater Chiriqui 17 Paleoindian Period (11,000-8000 B.C.) 18 Tropical Archaic Period (8000-1500 B.C.) 18 The Formative Period: (1500 B.C. -A.D. 750) 19 Aguas Buenas Period (300 B.C. - A.D. 750) 20 Chiriqui Period (A.D. 750-1500) 23 Contact and early Colonial Period (A.D. 1500-1600) 29 History of Archaeology Research in Greater Chiriqui 30 3. Modeling Indigenous Costa Rican Society 39 Introduction 39 The Bribri and the Cabecar 41 Bribri Political Organization 46 Bribri Clan and Moiety Organization 50 TheKogi 56 Summary 59 Archaeology of Dual Organization 61 Andean Dual Organization 61 Spatial and Material Expectations 72 4. Social and Political Organization in 16th and 17th Century Costa Rica 74 The Contact-period in Costa Rica and Panama 75 Social and Political Organization 76 Religious Leadership 80 Commoners and Slaves 83 Pueblos, Palenques, and Dual Organization 88 Summary 93 5. Chiriqui Period Cemeteries 94 Introduction 94 Previous Research on Chiriqui Cemeteries 95 Chiriqui Period Cemeteries 99 Multiple-mound Cemeteries , 103 ii Dually Organized Sites 107 Summary of Chiriqui Patterns 119 Summary and Conclusions 122 6. Previous Investigations at The Rivas-Panteon de la Reina Complex 126 Rivas-Panteon de la Reina 126 Rivas 127 Small-Scale Architecture: Operations A and J 131 Large-Scale Architecture: Operations D and E 133 Petroglyphs 137 Simple Cemeteries: Operations C and K 138 "False" Cemetery: Operation D-94 142 Panteon de la Reina 145 The Rivas Site in its Regional Context 146 Summary of Rivas Work 149 7. The 2003 and 2004 Investigations at the Panteon de la Reina 151 Introduction 151 Panteon de la Reina: Research Questions 152 Indicators of Moiety Affiliation 159 Status Differentiation 160 Fieldwork Methods 161 Survey and Mapping 162 Excavation 164 Artifact Analysis and Curation 167 8. Fieldwork Results 169 Panteon de la Reina Location 170 Excavations 173 Stairway and Platforms 174 Lower Platform 180 Upper Platform 182 Patios 183 Construction Episodes 187 Stone Pillars 188 Artifact analysis 190 La Reina Norte and La Reina Sur Cemeteries 197 La Reina Norte 198 La Reina Sur 204 Panteon de la Reina Graves 212 La Reina Norte Graves 212 La Reina Sur Graves 230 Summary of Panteon de la Reina Grave Features 230 Panteon de La Reina Artifacts 232 Ceramic materials 232 Lithic materials 240 Metals 242 Chronometric Dating 244 iii Summary 251 9. Dual Social and Spatial Organization at the Rivas-Panteon de la Reina Complex 256 Dual Organization of the Rivas Site 256 Duality within the Natural World 257 Duality in the Built Environment 258 Architectural Organization along the Central Axis 262 Asymmetry 264 Moiety Organization at Rivas-Reina 269 Rivas-Reina as a Mortuary Complex 271 Zone I: Residential-Ceremonial 278 Zone II: D94 False Cemetery: 279 Zone III: Stairway and Platform 280 Zone IV: La Reina Sur and La Reina Norte (not shown on Figure 9.6) 284 Conclusions 285 10. Beyond Chiriqui: Dual Organization Across the Talamanca Range 287 Introduction 287 Guayabo de Turrialba 288 Guayabo Organization 293 Duality at Guayabo 297 Rivas-Reina/Guayabo Comparisons 299 Summary 304 11. Summary and Conclusions 306 Chiriqui Dual Organization 307 Changes in Spatial Patterns 308 Rivas-Panteon de la Reina 309 Directions for future research 310 References Cited 315 Appendix A: Chiriqui Period Cemetery Complexes 339 Diqufs Sites 339 Western Panama Sites 348 Appendix B. Radiocarbon Dates 350 Rivas 350 IV LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. 1 Archaeological regions mentioned in text 1 Figure 2. 1 Archaeological regions of Costa Rica 14 Figure 2. 2 Greater Chiriquf with sub-regions 15 Figure 2. 3 Formative period sites mentioned in text 21 Figure 2. 4 Chiriquf period sites mentioned in text 24 Figure 2. 5 Photograph of Bribri u-sure, c. 1900 25 Figure 2. 6 Examples of Chiriquf goldwork. Reportedly from Panteon de la Reina 27 Figure 2. 7 Examples of peg-based sculpture (left) and feline effigy metates (right). From Mason 1945 28 Figure 3. 1 Schematic of Bribri universe (after Gonzalez and Gonzalez 2000: 154) 44 Figure 3. 2 Reconstruction of Bribri moiety system and clan hierarchy 53 Figure 3. 3 Site of Cardal, lower Lurfn Valley, Peru (after Burger and Salazar Burger 1991) 66 Figure 3. 4 Structures 1 and 2 at Pampa Chica. (Modified from Dulanto 2002:101) 67 Figure 3. 5 The Old and New Temples at Chavin de Huantar. (Modified from Burger 1995:131) 70 Figure 4. 1 Approximate locations of sixteenth-century paired and dually organized settlements 91 Figure 5. 1 Large Chiriquf period cemetery sites 97 Figure 5. 2 Multiple-mound site of Potrero Grande, Costa Rica 105 Figure 5. 3 Multiple-mound site of Finca Remolino, Costa Rica (after Drolet 1983) 106 Figure 5. 4 Map of Murcielago illustrating dual divisions of residential and cemetery zones 109 Figure 5. 5 Map of Rivas-Reina site illustrating dual division of Panteon de la Reina Cemetery 111 Figure 5. 6 Map of Brishav Cra (P-673Bc). Modified from Sol 2001:130 113 Figure 6. 1 Location of Rivas and Panteon de la Reina. Dotted box represents limits of Figure 6.2 128 Figure 6. 2 Map of the Rivas-Reina with operations indicated 130 Figure 6. 3 Operation A 132 Figure 6. 4 Operations D, D94, and E 135 Figure 6. 5 Excavations in Operation C 139 Figure 6. 6 Operation D-94 143 Figure 8. 1 Plan and Profile of Panteon de la Reina. Shaded areas indicate areas of 172 Figure 8. 2 Planview of Stairway, platforms, and patios 175 Figure 8. 3 Profile of Platforms and portion of Stairway. (View to North) 176 Figure 8. 4 Planview of architecture at the top of the Stairway 178 Figure 8. 5 Isometric reconstruction of platforms and associated features. View to west 179 Figure 8. 6 Profile of South Fire Pit showing charcoal-rich soil. View to south 181 Figure 8. 7 North wall of north walled patio. A worker cleans a cobble pavement to its north 185 Figure 8. 8 South walled patio. View to west 186 Figure 8. 9 Two phases of construction between two fire pits 188 Figure 8. 10 Photo of in situ pillars. Above South Fire Pit (left) and on Stairway pavement (right) 190 Figure 8. 11 Frequencies of sherd types in Rivas site and on the Stairway platforms 192 Figure 8. 12 Sarten handle (N996.20, E1000.95) 193 Figure 8. 13 Profile view of three scrapers. Scraping edges on left 195 Figure 8. 14 Map of La Reina Norte with excavated areas indicated 199 Figure 8. 15 Photograph of wall on south end of La Reina Norte. View to north 201 V Figure 8. 16 Planview of wall, south end La Reina Norte 202 Figure 8. 17 Map of La Reina Sur 206 Figure 8. 18 Architecture at North end La Reina Sur (under revision) 208 Figure 8. 19 Wall at north end La Reina Sur. View to South 209 Figure 8. 20 Photo and illustration of wall within La Reina Sur 211 Figure 8. 21 Graves 1-7 and associated features, La Reina Norte 215 Figure 8. 22 Profile of stratigraphy over Grave 1. Note dark brown matrix directly above pavement 216 Figure 8. 23 Plan view photograph of Grave 1 217 Figure 8. 24 Photograph of vessels below pavement of Grave 1. Note darker soil and disturbed cobbles above the vessels 218 Figure 8. 25 Profile Grave 1. A looter pit intrudes on the lower right corner of the grave. View to West 219 Figure 8. 26 Surface pavement of Grave 6 223 Figure 8. 27 Profiles of Grave 6 224 Figure 8. 28 Grave 7 profile. Note deep deposits of dark soil within pavement. View to north 225 Figure 8. 29 Grave 8 planview (top) and profile (bottom) 229 Figure 8. 30 Frequencies of sherd types by cemetery 235 Figure 8. 31 Gilen Black on Tan tripod jar.