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Lapidary technology of celtiform pendants from pre-Columbian Costa Rica: productive organisation, human interaction, and distribution

Lapidary technology of celtiform pendants from pre-Columbian Costa Rica: productive organisation, human interaction, and distribution
Lapidary technology of celtiform pendants from pre-Columbian Costa Rica: productive organisation, human interaction, and distribution
This dissertation elucidates the lapidary technologies and social organisation of pre-Columbian Costa Rica (500 B.C. - A.D. 900), by analysing the manufacturing and social role of lapidary ornaments, known as celtiform pendants. Celtiform pendants are characterised by skilfully decorated carvings on celtiform semiprecious rocks and minerals. A human or animal face is carved on the poll of axe, while the bit is not decorated, leaving the edge of the axe. These pendants are interpreted as a symbol of status, and as prestigious objects; hence these sophisticated carved images require a large amount of time and efforts to carve. In order to approach the lapidary technologies, the author conducts material analyses at local museums by utilising a digital microscope, silicon casting, and technology Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). Then, carving experiments and traceology analyses with metallographic microscope are executed in the University of Southampton.
Through the results of material analyses and distribution of celtiform pendants, the productive organisation and social role of celtiform pendants are discussed. Particularly, this study concentrates on how the ancient technologies are learned, developed and diffused in pre-Columbian Costa Rica. The geographical-temporal distribution of celtiform pendants demonstrates that the Greater Nicoya region is key as a centre of lapidary production. For instance, the manufacturing technologies of and the variation in celtiform pendants concentrates in the Greater Nicoya region. This suggests that the production of celtiform pendants is centralised primarily in Greater Nicoya, and was distributed to other regions.
The variability in working-costs and complexity of manufacturing process of celtiform pendants indicates that lapidary artisans with diverse skills and economic status were involved in their workshops. Although the ancient society of Costa Rica was formed by different social-cultural groups, in some extent, a social integration was achieved by the widely shared material cultures— celtiform pendants—. The productive organisation of celtiform pendants indicate that pre-Columbian Costa Rica during the Florescent Period (around A.D. 300 - 700) was highly developed, and it was a crucial period to form their society.
University of Southampton
Kuboyama, Waka
62bc169e-7adf-4628-a6ae-e77f3d8fbd85
Kuboyama, Waka
62bc169e-7adf-4628-a6ae-e77f3d8fbd85
Pollard, Carl
5080faff-bc2c-4d27-b702-e40a5eb40761
Moser, Stephanie
af3009ce-a7c4-4550-a180-7e1987b7deed

Kuboyama, Waka (2022) Lapidary technology of celtiform pendants from pre-Columbian Costa Rica: productive organisation, human interaction, and distribution. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis, 216pp.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

This dissertation elucidates the lapidary technologies and social organisation of pre-Columbian Costa Rica (500 B.C. - A.D. 900), by analysing the manufacturing and social role of lapidary ornaments, known as celtiform pendants. Celtiform pendants are characterised by skilfully decorated carvings on celtiform semiprecious rocks and minerals. A human or animal face is carved on the poll of axe, while the bit is not decorated, leaving the edge of the axe. These pendants are interpreted as a symbol of status, and as prestigious objects; hence these sophisticated carved images require a large amount of time and efforts to carve. In order to approach the lapidary technologies, the author conducts material analyses at local museums by utilising a digital microscope, silicon casting, and technology Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI). Then, carving experiments and traceology analyses with metallographic microscope are executed in the University of Southampton.
Through the results of material analyses and distribution of celtiform pendants, the productive organisation and social role of celtiform pendants are discussed. Particularly, this study concentrates on how the ancient technologies are learned, developed and diffused in pre-Columbian Costa Rica. The geographical-temporal distribution of celtiform pendants demonstrates that the Greater Nicoya region is key as a centre of lapidary production. For instance, the manufacturing technologies of and the variation in celtiform pendants concentrates in the Greater Nicoya region. This suggests that the production of celtiform pendants is centralised primarily in Greater Nicoya, and was distributed to other regions.
The variability in working-costs and complexity of manufacturing process of celtiform pendants indicates that lapidary artisans with diverse skills and economic status were involved in their workshops. Although the ancient society of Costa Rica was formed by different social-cultural groups, in some extent, a social integration was achieved by the widely shared material cultures— celtiform pendants—. The productive organisation of celtiform pendants indicate that pre-Columbian Costa Rica during the Florescent Period (around A.D. 300 - 700) was highly developed, and it was a crucial period to form their society.

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Published date: September 2022

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 456398
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/456398
PURE UUID: aea54a17-e402-4d51-a753-6175c3bbe264
ORCID for Carl Pollard: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8429-2009

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 28 Apr 2022 16:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:23

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Contributors

Author: Waka Kuboyama
Thesis advisor: Carl Pollard ORCID iD
Thesis advisor: Stephanie Moser

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