Gran Nicoya: Is the area or zone comprised the very southwestern-most part of Honduras, the western Pacific coast part of Nicaragua, and the northwestern Pacific coastal area of Costa Rica, down to and including the Nicoya Peninsula.

The depictions represented in the Gran Nicoya ceramic pottery styles give evidence to the fact that the women played an important role in the society holding political and religious positions.  It is also worth highlighting the unique and artistically complex animal effigy vases (see above), with the head modeled three dimensionally with arms, legs, and a tail (serving as the other tripod foot), with complex glyphic patterns in shades of brown and red.  In a subsequent period sophisticated censers were produced with the figure of animals in unique styles on the censers' lid.  Frequently, the use of supernatural characters can be observed as well.

The Nicoyan peoples spoke a dialect of Nahuatl, and had continuing contact with the Mexica/Aztec cultures of Central Mexico.  This Mesoamerican influence can be seen in the representation of the Plumed Serpent which appears frequently.

We suggest you visit:
[ Nicoya History Introduction by Michael J. Snarskis, Ph.D. of the Tayutic Foundation ] [ Guanacaste-Nicoya Periods I-IV ]
[ Guanacaste-Nicoya Periods V ] [ Guanacaste-Nicoya Periods VI ]
[ Pre-columbian Gran Nicoya Jade ] [ Pre-columbian Gran Nicoya Gold ] [ Pre-columbian Gran Nicoya Stone ]
[ Pre-columbian Gran Nicoya Ceramic Pottery ] [ The Journal Of Costa Rican Archaeology ] [ Costa Rican Archaeology ]

Also we suggest:

[ Costa Rica's Tayutic Foundation ]