Abstract

This paper details the first season of archaeological excavation by a University of Calgary team in the region of Rivas, located in southwestern Nicaragua. The aims of the project are to investigate ethnohistoric accounts of the Nicarao, an indigenous group of Nahuat-speakers thought to have migrated to this area a few hundred years prior to European arrival in the New World. The strength of the link between the Nahuat-speakers of Nicaragua and those of Central Mexico is an important issue, relevant to the role of lower Central America in the Mesoamerican interaction sphere. The first season=s test excavations centered on Santa Isabel A, located close to the shores of Lago de Nicaragua and one of the most important sites in the area. It is hoped that this research will provide insights into the idea of ethnicity and ethnic boundaries, as well as combat the dearth of archaeological knowledge in Nicaragua.