Archaeological Investigations in Guadalupe, Northeast Honduras

Northeast Honduras is located at the intersection of three major culture areas: Mesoamerica, Southern Central America, and the Caribbean. Although northeast Honduras plays a key role in understanding the interaction of the inhabitants of these culture areas, little archaeological research has been conducted there. Traditionally, the region has been perceived as an intermediate area and has been primarily defined in terms of its affiliation with the neighboring regions. Based on research conducted in the coastal settlement of Guadalupe (AD 900–1525), and by using network theory, this publication places northeast Honduras in a new light and provides an alternative perspective to the traditional concepts of culture areas, complexity, and interaction. It focuses on local and regional processes and the reevaluation of interregional relations and includes, for the first time, a detailed examination on of relationships with the Caribbean. These observations are based on scientific chemical and stylistic analyses of a wide variety of finds and features from Guadalupe and its surroundings, including a new classification scheme for pottery.