Costa Rica History

Costa Rica Our First History

The history of Costa Rica does not begin with the Spanish arrival but rather longer ago than that. Evidence thus far indicates that the first human groups occupied Costa Rican territory approximately 12,000 years before our time. A long process of development in the different archeological areas of Costa Rica arose from that time on until the arrival of the Spaniards in the XVI century.
                  
In the land occupied by Costa Rica three archeological regions have been established based on geographical (mountain ranges, rivers, valleys and others) and cultural criteria(settlements, burials, ceramics and others). A formal similitude is present within each region in the material vestiges belonging to different occupation periods.

The three archeological regions of Costa Rica are:

A. The Greater Nicoya Archeological Region:

This region extends over part of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The Costa Rican sector is acknowledged as south subregion or Guanacaste. It consists of the great province of Guanacaste and the north sector of the province of Puntarenas.

B. Central Archeological Region:

It occupies the central part of the country, extending from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast. Two subregions are acknowledged: the Central-Pacific, that covers the Central valley and the Central Pacific area and the Atlantic subregion, that covers the Turrialba valley, the plains of the Central Atlantic and the plains of the north.

C. The Greater Chiriquí Archeological Region

It is located over part of Costa Rica and Panama. The Costa Rican sector is acknowledged as Diquís Archeological Subregion. It covers the southeast part of the country, as well as the Atlantic foothill of the Talamanca mountain range.

Pre-Colombian lifestyles

There are several lifestyles in the pre-Colombian era. The lifestyle designates the economical, sociopolitical and religious aspects of a society in a given stage of its historical evolution. The duration of the lifestyles could be of several centuries and even millenniums. The difference amongst each one is mainly because changes in the economical base, which created changes in the sociopolitical organization and society’s vision of the world. These changes were manifested in the different archeological materials (utensils, tools, housing and others,) that survived the passing of time, natural and artificial agents.

I. Hunters and gatherers lifestyle (12,000-2,000 B.C.)

a. The first inhabitants (12,000-8,000 B.C.)

According to the most accepted archeological data, the population of America occurred on groups from Asia and came through the Bering channel, north of the continent, approximately 12,000 years before Christ.

These groups were nomads and were organized into small groups that moved across the continent looking for adequate locations for hunting and wild fruit gathering. According to the information registered thus far, on their path, the nomads arrived to the territory that Costa Rica now occupies in a period that dates approximately 12,000 and 8,000 years before Christ.

These groups did not know about agriculture, their diet was mainly based on the recollection of wild plants and the occasional hunt of the great animals of the era or megafauna, such as the mammoth, the megatherium or large sloth and the glyptodon or giant armadillo. The hunters-gatherers lived on open campsites or natural rocky shelters, which were occupied in a seasonal manner. There has been archeological evidence of these occupations, corresponding to stone tools in the Turrialba valley and Guanacaste. The stone tools typical of this era are made of, amongst others, scrapers, knives, drillers, scratchers and specially the chipped-tone spear, which was a very efficient stone weapon in large animal hunting.

B. From hunting and gathering to the first crops (8,000 to 2,000 B.C.)

Between 8,000 and 2,000 years before Christ the indigenous groups began to combine hunting and gathering with the first crops. The evidence on this period is scarce, and it is limited to areas of stone tools workshop and burners in Arenal (Guanacaste), and stone artifacts in the Turrialba area. The megafauna is believed to have disappeared due to the climatic changes that took place close to 10,000 years B.C. Therefore; hunting became more diversified, including smaller size species. The stone tools used were designed to work on wood, bone, stone and food processing. It has been considered that the recollection traditions were fundamental, and it is likely that the groups carried out stationary rounds in given zones depending on the maturation period of the fruits, occupying rocky shelters or outdoor campsites.
           
It is believed that incipient tuber agriculture was practiced between the second or third millennium before Christ, focusing on the protection of fruit trees, such as avocado, nance and guapinol, amongst others. These practices originated on the knowledge that was gathered from the recollection of wild plants. The beginning on food production indicates the birth of a new way of life.

II. Equalitarian Villager lifestyle (2,000 B.C. –500 B.C.)

According to some information, the presence of agriculture in the country dates of approximately 2,000 years before Christ. Agriculture would radically change indigenous society, since it propelled the establishment of permanent villages, the development of ceramics and the social complexity, amongst other aspects. There is some evidence that suggests that around the first and second millennium before Christ there were sedentary agricultural communities that relied on simple ceramic artifacts and stone tools, designed for agricultural labors and food processing. In the equalitarian villager lifestyle a sociopolitical tribal type organization is created, with equalitarian relations between the individuals and the collective property of the goods.

In Costa Rica, the beginning of agriculture was hand on hand with the development of ceramics, which would fill the need for new tools.

Early ceramics is distinguished by its basic shapes (pots, platters, bowls and others), which were decorated with techniques such as incrustations, patterns or moldings.

In the Atlantic subregion of the Central region and in the Diquís Subregion of the Greater Chiriquí, between 1,500 and 300 B.C., the evidence of clay platters and small pointy stones to be used as tubers scrapers indicates that the first farming practiced in this subregions was tuber cultivation such as yucca, ñame and others. The use of certain trees such as pejibaye tree and the practice of hunting and fishing are included in this agricultural system.

The presence of corn, as well as hands and metals to process it, in the Greater Nicoya region and in the Central-Pacific region, during the same period (1,500-500 B.C.), indicates that the first agricultural and ceramics occupations utilized mainly the cultivation of seeds. In this variant, corn stands out as main product, without ruling out the usage of tubers and fruit trees, as complementary alternatives. This type of agricultures is of higher performance even though its requirements are more complex. The cultivation of seeds gave birth to the development of a much more complex society, since it allowed for a bigger food production, the concentration of power on few individuals, territorial control and the development of better production techniques.

III- Cacical- Villagers lifestyle (500 B.C.- A.D. 1,500)

a. The transition from tribal society to Cacical society (500 B.C.- A.D.300)

The Cacical villager lifestyle arises from the changes produced by the agriculture of seeds. The tribal organization of the first agricultural groups, between the years 500 B.C. and A.D. 300, ensures a more complex sociopolitical organization such as the chiefdoms.

The chiefdom is distinguished by having a larger differentiation and stratification amongst the food producers (agriculture, hunting, fishing, gathering), the specialized craftsmen and religious and political leaders. On the other hand, the individual in power needs material symbols to show their predominant position in the social hierarchy. It is because of this that more important indicators of social position arise such as jades, ceremonial metates (the Spanish word for stone grinding table or platform) and stones mallets, amongst others. These elements are frequently represented as mortuary offers. Towards the year 300 B.C. corn becomes consolidated as a main crop in some areas although a mixed system of the cultivation of seeds and tubers continued until the Spanish conquest. Also, a development of instruments and crop techniques arose in order to fill the needs of agriculture, which generates more surpluses and increases the probabilities for a growth in the population.

In the different regions, the populations settled in small and medium size villages. Some villages grew so much in size and importance that a development of the economical, political and religious power arose. These main villages show structures such as wall bases, platforms, roads, ovens, storage wells and statuary. The ceramics in the different regions during this period of time, shares, in general terms, the decoration with two colors (bychrome in some areas) and animal shaped decorations (zoomorphism).

b. The beginning of complex chiefdoms (A.D.300- 700)

The requirements for agriculture production and the increasing social complexity that it generates lead to new ways of sociopolitical control. In the beginning, the chiefdoms were small and scattered, dominated by a chief or cacique, but then they gave birth of authentic chiefdom confederations. A hierarchy of settlements with main villages and secondary tributary towns arises due to the existence of power centers. The relationships of subordination amongst villages allow for the creation of a main cacique in the dominant village and secondary caciques in the subordinate villages. The land ownership is accentuated with the creation of territorial divisions. The cacique serves its function as to distribute the goods that are produced on a community level and due to its authority he has privileged access to the most cherished goods.

A more complex style of settlements arises since the year 300 B.C.  with the population mainly focusing on the larger villages. These villages with different infrastructure buildings, such as bases, roads, platforms, funerary mortuaries, indicate the capacity of the political and religious leaders to mobilize the population in order to carry out these deeds. Polychrome (various colors) on ceramics arises during this period in the Greater Nicoya region, as well as a bigger exploitation of the coastal resources in the Pacific coast.

c. Late Chiefdoms (A.D. 700-1,500)

After the year A.D. 700 and until the Spanish arrival in the XVI century, larger villages with a more complex internal design dominated extensive territories that competed between each other. The presence of various simple and complex cemeteries, massive infrastructure buildings in the main villages (platforms, aqueducts, plazas, roads, contention walls), the diversity of domestic goods and sanctuaries, the introduction of gold work, the regional exchange and the conflicts among chiefdoms are elements that are characteristic of that time.

In the same manner, a more complex agriculture and the exploitation of different ecosystems arose and allowed access to a wider range of goods. From this point on there was a growth in the population, a larger social hierarchy and a stronger subordination relationship between the different Cacical territories. The experienced recollected during the previous periods and the contact with other areas facilitated this change in the pre- Columbian Costa Rican society.

During this stage, the cacique has more control over the land and tools and can mobilize the population for deeds of bigger significance, appealing to magic-religious resources, field where the Shaman (religious leader) has an essential function. Also, there was an increment of the rank symbols for the dominant individuals, as well as the location, shape and burial gifts.

The territorial organization would lead to the establishment of relationships of product exchange such as food, specialized tools and sanctuary goods. Some political alliances arose amongst chiefdoms, but at the same time competition for resources, which would eventually lead to war. 

All of this development that was achieved by our pre-Colombian indigenous groups would have a painful transition after A.D.1,500 with the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. A new way of life will arise based on the exploitation of the strength of indigenous labor. But, from this cruel confrontation a new inhabitant would emerge: the present Costa Rican.

Costa Rica Our First History

The first European explorer to encounter Costa Rica, Christopher Columbus, came on September 18, 1502. He was making his fourth and final voyage to the New World. A crowd of local Carib Indians greeted his crew warmly as he was setting anchor off shore. Later, the Spaniard Gil Gonzalez Davila named the country Costa Rica, or Rich Coast, impressed by the golden bands that natives were wearing in their noses and ears.

Thousands of years before the arrival of Columbus, civilization existed in Costa Rica. Evidence of human occupation dates 10,000 years back. Perfectly spherical granite bolas (balls) found near the west coast are among the cultural mysteries left by the pre-Columbian inhabitants. Some are small as a baseball ranging in size to that of a Volkswagen bus. Parque Nacional Guayabo has ruins of an ancient city with aqueducts and some marvelously gold and jade work of about 1000 years ago was been found in the southwest. Evidence of the Olmec and Nahuatl Mexican civilizations influence are found in archeological sites in the central highlands and Guanacaste.

By the time the Columbus arrived, there were four major native tribes: the Caribs (east coast), the Chibchas, Borucas, and Diquis (southwest). None of these peoples survived as land owners long after the arrival of Spanish colonialism. Some died due to the smallpox brought by the Spanish, some worked as slaves, and some ran away to the highest mountains, where their descendants live until this day making a small 1% of the Costa Rican population.

Having few indigenous labor forces, the Spanish brought in African slaves to work in the Carib bean coast. Seventy thousand of their lineage lives in Costa Rica nowadays. Recent studies suggest that the 97% of the country's population - which call themselves ticos - come from the mestizaje, which is the mixture of races among the Spaniards and the indigenous that remained in the Central Valley.

During the colonial period, Costa Rica was a tough and unpopular place to reside with few easily exploited resources and lack of labor force. The Spanish were much more interested in living in Peru or Mexico, where vast amounts of silver and gold were being obtained by hundred thousands of indigenous slaves. Thus, the first unfortunate settlers were left largely to their own means in this country. The first successful colonial city was established in 1562, when Juan Vasquez de Coronado founded Cartago -that became later the first capital city.

As well as the rest of America, Costa Rica followed the example of Mexico when it rebelled against Spain in the year 1821. Two years later, there was a civil war n the Central Valley between four neighboring cities.

Two of them, Heredia and Cartago pursued to become part of Mexico, and the other two, San Jose and Alajuela wanted complete independence. After the last defeated Heredia and Cartago, sovereignty was established.

In 1824, Juan Mora Fernandez was elected the first head of state. He made land reforms at the same time that an elite class of powerful coffee barons was growing. The barons later overthrew the first Costa Rican president, Jose Maria Castro, and Juan Rafael Mora succeeded him. Under Mora's leadership, the Costa Rican people repulsed a would-be conqueror, the North American William Walker. Walker was a disgruntled southerner who thought that Central America should be annexed to the United States as a slave state. With a piecemeal army of about 50 men, Walker invaded Mexico, Panama, and Costa Rica, being always defeated. Finally, he proceeded against Honduras, where he was executed.

Military rule has headed the country from time to time, but it has not been extremely violent like in the rest of Central America. In 1870, for instance, General Tomas Guardia made some of the country's most progressive reforms in taxation, education, and military policy.

In 1948, Dr. Rafael Angel Calderon and the United Social Christian Party refused to relinquish power after losing the presidential election. Then, the Costa Rican civil war erupted. An exile named Jose Maria (Don Pepe) Figueres Ferrer defeat Calderon in about a month, proving later to be one of Costa Rica's most influential leaders. He headed the Founding Junta of the Second Republic of Costa Rica. Even one of his sons, Jose Maria Figueres, was also president of the country during the years 1994-1998.

Historical facts during and little after the civil war are not totally clear, due to the social instability of this period. Under Ferrer's leadership, important reforms were made. Women and blacks gained the vote, banks were nationalized, the communist party was banned, and presidential term limits were established. Ferrer was immensely popular, creating a political legacy that lives today.

In 1987, Oscar Arias Sanchez -the Costa Rican president- garnered world recognition as he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was able to get all five Central American presidents to sign his peace plan that proposed the ending of the internal conflicts between governments and local insurrection forces. Because of this initiative, Nicaragua is now experiencing relative stability, ending its civil war between the Sandinistas and the Contras.

In February 1998 the Social Christian Unity Party's Miguel Angel Rodriguez won the presidency with almost exactly 50% of the vote. A conservative businessman who made the economy his priority, he went on to privatize state companies and encourage foreign investments in an effort to create jobs.

By the time the February 2002 elections rolled around, however, ticos were mumbling about a lack of government transparency and shady deals between political mates. These grass-roots misgivings resulted in a 'no win' election and pollsters returned to the ballot box in April 2002. Rodriguez's successor, Abel Pacheco of the conservative Social Christian Unity Party, was elected to step up to the president's ring. The government period is for 4 years and re election is not possible.