Temporary exhibition galleries

Birds of Stone, Clay and Gold in Pre-Columbian Costa Rica

Various bird families were fashioned by our indigenous ancestors in pre-Columbian materials such as clay, stone, jade and gold. Why were these animals represented so frequently? What did they symbolize? Which bird families are most commonly found?

These and many more questions are answered in the new Central Bank Museums exhibit, Birds of Stone, Clay and Gold in Pre-Columbian Costa Rica,prepared jointly by archeologist Patricia Fernández and ornithologist Julio Sánchez and showing in the temporary exhibit room at the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum.

“Up to now there has been little information as to why birds were so commonly represented in pre-Columbian materials. The goal of the research was to expand on that information while at the same time enriching this exhibit with biological information on these animals,” remarked Fernández.

The exhibit contains 100 objects, 42 of which belong to the National Museum and 58 to the Central Bank Museums. Illustrated with photographs of the different birds and maps of migratory routes, the exhibit also has an interactive station where visitors can listen on earphones to the different bird calls.

Bird-lore Tour

In the first part, visitors to the exhibit can learn more about the behavior and principle features of birds, their nests, migrations, evolution, calls and geographical distribution, among other details of interest.

Later, the exhibition addresses the cultural use of the bird motif in pre-Columbian pieces, its symbolism and significance for these indigenous peoples, and the pre-Columbian periods and geographical areas within Costa Rica where bird representations were most common.

In addition, the largest section of the exhibition shows the main features of the different bird families identified in this exhibit of pre-Columbian pieces.

“18 bird families were identified in the objects, of which the most common ones were raptors or birds of prey. The vulture, for example, was the most commonly represented bird throughout the entire pre-Columbian period, both numerically and in terms of the variety of materials used,” noted Fernández.

The research also showed that owls, harpy eagles, toucans, woodpeckers, jays and quail were represented, among others.

“Some of these birds were domesticated, and others used as food. Moreover, some of them – or different parts of their bodies – were used in healing,” explained the curator.

The last part of the exhibit leads us to reflect on the proper use and conservation of natural resources, while showing the importance of these animals in the beliefs and myths of present-day indigenous peoples.