GUAYABO NATIONAL MONUMENT

This pre-Columbian settlement, the most important archaeological site in the country, is located 20 km north of Turrialba on the foothills of the volcano of the same name. Parts of this site (about 10% of the total area) have been carefully exposed. Well-maintained paths have been laid through the park, which give you a glimpse of the legacy from a distant past. The rounded hills, roads, walls, aqueducts, tombs and petroglyphs (drawings carved into pieces of stone) give a picture of a developed pre-Columbian settlement. Excavations of pottery, gold, jade and semi-precious stones testify to the cultural and religious significance of the place. Presumably people have lived here from 500 BC. to 1400 AD. cr. Although it is known that Guayabo had its heyday between 300 and 800 AD. it remains a mystery why it became depopulated before the Spanish conquest. The meaning of many of the excavated petroglyphs has not been determined. Both South American and Mesoamerican influences can be found in the construction techniques. It is certain that Guayabo was ruled by a chief who had both political and religious power over a large area and that the inhabitants were masters of a large number of crafts.