Rain uncovers ancient cemetery in Nicaragua

22 June 2010

Rain uncovers ancient cemetery in Nicaragua

Ghitis Moises Rivera, director of the museum in Ceibo on the island of Ometepe in southern Nicaragua reported that heavy rains recently uncovered the remains of an indigenous cemetery dating back about 4,500 years. The discovery included five human skeletons, bone fragments and pieces of pottery 'from 2,500 to 2,800 BCE.' Valuable pre-Colombian artefacts had previously been found on the island so local authorities asked police to protect the site from grave robbers until the arrival of more archaeologists.

Ometepe was settled by the Choroteca and Nahuatel people, who migrated to Central America from northern Mexico. It is a volcanic island located in the lake of Cocibolca and was added to Unesco's World Network of Biosphere Reserves on Wednesday.

http://www.stonepages.com/news/archives/003864.html

http://www.lavozdelsandinismo.com.nyud.net:8090/img/info/lago-cocibolca-2009-10-08-15689.jpg http://www.absolutcaribe.com.nyud.net:8090/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/cc1.jpg

Lake Cocibolca

http://www.hoteltraveltour.com.nyud.net:8090/photos/ometepe-island-nicaragua.jpg

Ometepe Island is the biggest freshwater island in the world. Inhabited by freshwater
sharks, it is located on the Cocibolca lake, also known as the Nicaragua lake. When
the spanish discovered it in 1523, due to its inmensity of approximately 8,264 km2,
constant waves, and beautiful beaches, they thought it was a sea, and they called it
"the freshwater sea". The indigenous ancestors named it "Ometepe" meaning in Náhuatl
language "two hills".

More photos, Ometepe Island:
http://www.hoteltraveltour.com/nicaragua/ometepe-rivas.html