 The
Gold Museum, in downtown San Jose, is easily the country's best with
thousands of different examples of Pre-Colombian gold artifacts. The pieces
in the collection date from 500 BCE (BC) to 1600 CE (AD), when the Americas
were discovered by Christopher Columbus. The artifacts range from
simple round earrings to intricately worked representations of local
animals. Tastefully exhibited with precise lighting and clear concise
descriptions, the Central Bank Gold Museum opens a window into the past and
into the lives of the indigenous peoples of Costa Rica.
Columbus,
himself, is responsible for naming the country when in 1502, on his forth
voyage to the new world, when he landed on the east coast, "discovering"
Costa Rica. In a letter back to the crown, he described his meeting with
local Indians that where adorned with numerous gold ornaments. He went on to
describe the different adornments and artifacts in detail, and he
conjectured as to the richness of the region and its people. Sadly, as many
a conquistador was to find later on, Columbus was wrong about the amount of
gold to be found in Costa Rica. Because of its scarcity, gold was a very
important and highly prized commodity in the lives of the local people. It
was extremely important in their religious ceremonies, and in the
differentiation between social classes. However, it was far from
abundant!
 The unique gold exhibit itself is not the
only reason for visiting the museum, although it definitely stands on its
own. The building in which it is housed is also unique and
interesting. Situated underground, under the Plaza de la Cultura, and
next to the National Theater, the museum extends down three stories. The
long sweeping spiral staircase that connects the different levels is the
architectural center piece. With plenty of room, aside from the main gold
exhibit, the museum is often the setting for many different traveling shows
and exhibits. The museum is a must see for any visitor to Costa Rica!
It all began in the 1950's, when the Central
Bank of Costa Rica began collecting numerous archeological objects, many of
which are pieces now found in the museum. It was an attempt on the part of
the Central Bank to serve the Costa Rican people, and to help preserve and
protect their cultural heritage. In 1975, the Central Bank decided
that a fitting gallery should be constructed, reviewing and discarding many
different design options in favor of the present, underground proposal.
After six years, and many different modifications to the original design,
the museum was opened, quickly becoming an integral part of the cultural
landscape of the Costa Rican capital San José. Thus, it was not until
1982 that the collection had a permanent home in this new structure.
Today, in conjunction with the Ministry of
Education, the museum is fulfilling its role as protector and promoter of
this precious piece of Costa Rica's history. Every day the museum is filled
with tourists and local students alike learning and understanding a little
more about what makes this a special and unique country.
It is my pleasure to be able to provide this
supplement, to expand that awareness via the Internet. Therefore, I
have created this site to showcase Costa Rica's golden past, drawn from
collections world wide. Unfortunately, many of the items shown here,
will never be available to the public, as they are part of private
collections originally looted and plundered from the original setting.
So as a scholarly work, I hope to also help create additional awareness
about the loss to science and public knowledge that such looting causes!
Clearly, collectors have always played a role in helping to preserve the
past, but ongoing looting only serves to reduce the cultural heritage of the
Costa Rican people.
T. McGuinness, Ph.D.
June 2002
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