Las Mercedes Archaeological Site

Las Mercedes is a complex archaeological site on the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica, between the foothills of Turrialba Volcano and the alluvial plain. Covering 25 hectares, it contains platforms, plazas, retaining walls, funerary areas, ramps, and paved roads, with occupation spanning c. 1500 BC to 1500 AD. Monumental architecture began c. 1000 AD, and the site likely served as a powerful chiefdom center. Discovered in 1871 during railroad construction, Minor C. Keith collected 16,608 artifacts now held at the Brooklyn Museum, Smithsonian, and other institutions.