Pre-columbian Gold and Copper in Costa Rica

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Sabine Klein; Professor Dr. Andreas Schäfer
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology ; Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 470821474

The wealth in gold is still firmly associated with the “New World”. Peru and Columbia are most prominent in the debate, while much less is known about Central America. This new project sets out to fill this gap and to provide a profound insight into the early metallurgy (gold and copper) of Central America. Costa Rica was decided upon as the core area of study. It boasts not only a wealth of pre-columbian gold and copper artefacts but is also at the heart of the region, featuring both influences from Mesoamerica and from the isthmo-columbian area. Costa Ricas archaeological research and conservation institutions are of very high standard. The unequivocal support of our costarican cooperation partners at present offers the great chance to establish a longer lasting research perspective between Germany and this heartland of Central America. The project follows a two-step concept, starting off with a research strategy combining mining archaeology and geo-chemical analysis, both on local ores as well as on metal artefacts in museums and collections. Once the basic data has been collected and analysed, the second part will focus on socio-cultural and economic aspects. In cooperation with Ancient American Studies the results from Costa Rica will be put into perspective of new world early metallurgy between Mexico and Columbia. The first part of the project, which is applied for in this proposal, sets out to generate the basic analytical data. Previous archaeometallurgical studies were mostly confined to museum objects. Due to differing analytical methods the results remain difficult to compare. Despite its wealth in metal artefacts, no mining archaeological research has ever been done at Costa Ricas rich metal deposits. Therefore, besides comprehensive artefact analysis, the first project phase comprises a systematic survey of the relevant deposits and mining precincts, to search for remains of pre-Columbian metal production, i.e. mining, beneficiation or processing sites and to systematically sample and analyse the primary gold and copper deposits and (paleo-) placers in the north and south of Costa Rica. The main aim will be to establish the geochemical fingerprints of both ore districts and artefacts to identify potential raw material sources of the metal objects by comparison of these signatures. Our results will provide a sound archaeometallurgical data base for future research approaches in Central America, beyond the borders of Costa Rica.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants