Pre-Columbian Honduras

The territory of the current Honduras was inhabited by villages that characterised for being of two cultural types different: The cultures Maya and Tolteca.

Culture

These cultures reached big progresses in the diverse fields of the human knowledge.

Agriculture

They were promoted by the development of a varied agriculture (bean, cocoa, chili pepper, etc.) and had big systems of irrigation. Of this way guaranteeed a suitable feeding for his numerous populations.

Arts

Besides they applied technicians of big perfection in the fabrics and the ceramics. They developed an intense and varied trade.

Sciences

They reached a high scientific development in the mathematics and the astronomy; in addition to the architecture and the sculpture, that employed in the construction of big cities.^[1]

Toltec cultures

In the northwestern section of Honduras, predominated the villages with influence tolteca, between them the following:

The náhuatl: they Lived in the valley of Naco and Trujillo;
The chortis group mayance located in Cortés, Copán and Ocotepeque
The lencas, that extended by the departments of Santa Bárbara, Lempira, Intibucá, The Peace, Comayagua, Francisco Morazán and Valley and part of what today comprises the territory of The Saviour.^[2]

Nomadic and semi-nomadic cultures

The rest of the Honduran territory is inhabited by villages from the south of the continent, with a nomadic and semi-nomadic cultures, governed by relations of primitive communal production.

Between these villages found the following:

Xicaques,
Pechs,
Tawahka
And misquitos.

In this group, falls the majority of the population of the country.^[3]

Lencas

The most numerous population constituted it the lencas those who, to the moment of the arrival of the Spaniards, was the most widespread and organised of the groups of the country.

They lived in populations of considerable size, with an average of 350 houses and much more of 500 pobladores.^[4] Although they exist scientific controversies on the descendants and origin of the lencas, of agreement to Rodolfo Baron Castro, are the direct rests heirs of the mayas, that did not follow the exodus that gave end to the Ancient Imperio. To the arrival of the Spaniards, found established in the territory that today comprise the Republics of The Saviour and Honduras."^[5]

The area maya comprises what in our days are the countries of Honduras, Guatemala, The Saviour and Mexico.^[6] The mayas flowered in these countries in the first 15 centuries of the Christian era.^[7] Unknown causes until today, caused the abandonment and the destruction of Copán and other cities mayas, that in the period of the Spanish conquest no longer were more than ruins. Hunger, plagues, internal wars have proposed like the causes of the abandonment.^[8]

References

^ Becerra, Longino (1981), La comunidad primitiva de Honduras [The Primitive Community of Honduras] (in Spanish), Editorial Universitaria.
^ Rivas, Ramón D. (1993). Pueblos indígenas y garífuna de Honduras (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: Editorial Universitaria. ISBN 99926-15-53-2. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
^ Stone, Doris (1940). "Introducción". In Stone, Doris (ed.). Demarcación de la culturas pre-colombinas del centro y norte de Honduras [Demarcation of Central and North Honduran Pre-Columbian Cultures] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Chapman, Anne (1978). "Introducción". Los Lencas de Honduras (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Baron Castro, Rodolfo (1978). La Población de El Salvador [The Population of El Salvador] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: UCA Editores.
^ "Honduras antes de Colon" [Honduras before Columbus]. angelfire.com. Retrieved 14 February 2008.
^ Aplícano Mendieta, Pedro (1969). Los mayas en Honduras [The Mayas in Honduras] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: Impr. y Papelería Calderón. Retrieved 14 February 2011. Los mayas florecieron en estos países en los primeros 15 siglos de la era cristiana
^ Swiggett, Glen Levin (1917). "Introducción". Proceedings of the Second Pan American Scientific Congress. Washington. Retrieved 14 February 2011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[La_comunidad_primitiva_de_Honduras-1] Becerra, Longino (1981), La comunidad primitiva de Honduras [The Primitive Community of Honduras] (in Spanish), Editorial Universitaria.

[Pueblos_indígenas_y_garífuna_de_Honduras-2] Rivas, Ramón D. (1993). Pueblos indígenas y garífuna de Honduras (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: Editorial Universitaria. ISBN 99926-15-53-2. Retrieved 14 February 2011.

[3] Stone, Doris (1940). "Introducción". In Stone, Doris (ed.). Demarcación de la culturas pre-colombinas del centro y norte de Honduras [Demarcation of Central and North Honduran Pre-Columbian Cultures] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[4] Chapman, Anne (1978). "Introducción". Los Lencas de Honduras (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[5] Baron Castro, Rodolfo (1978). La Población de El Salvador [The Population of El Salvador] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: UCA Editores.

[Honduras_antes_de_Colon-6] "Honduras antes de Colon" [Honduras before Columbus]. angelfire.com. Retrieved 14 February 2008.

[7] Aplícano Mendieta, Pedro (1969). Los mayas en Honduras [The Mayas in Honduras] (in Spanish). Tegucigalpa: Impr. y Papelería Calderón. Retrieved 14 February 2011. Los mayas florecieron en estos países en los primeros 15 siglos de la era cristiana

[8] Swiggett, Glen Levin (1917). "Introducción". Proceedings of the Second Pan American Scientific Congress. Washington. Retrieved 14 February 2011.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

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