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Guayabo National Monument
Costa Rica's Guayabo National Monument is the largest
and most important archeological site discovered in
Costa Rica. The appearance of human occupation appears
to date back to 500 B.C.. Its main development took
place between 800 and 1,400 A.D.,when the stone structures
which are still standing today were built. A series
of villages is thought to have existed around the
central area, providing shelter for a rural population
of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people.
The monuments main architectural features are: cobble-paved
causeways and streets; terraced stairways, designed
to overcome the differences in height between the
causeways and mounds; retaining walls; bridges; mounds
used as foundations for housing; open and walled-in
aqueducts, many still in use today; and cisterns,
rectangular structures where water from the aqueducts
was stored.
There are petroglyphs everywhere, some representing
animals such as birds and cats, and others which do
not appear to have any significance. Ceremonial monolithic
tables, petroglyphs, pottery shards, and other items
are also found at the site. In addition, an example
of the tall, evergreen forests typical of the region
is found here. The predominant trees include the elm,
bitter cedar, manni and magnolia.
Fauna is scarce because of the monument's small size.
Birds are the most conspicuous, the most numerous
being toucans and Montezuma oropendolas. Some species
of insects, lizards, frogs, and toads are common to
the area. |
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