Pre-Columbian times
In 1960, scientific research carried out in Nicaragua allowed us to delve deeper into these processes over time. Although there are still many gaps due to the lack of research in the country, we can at least outline our first history in a very general way.
Period I (-8000 BC) Paleoindian Period
This period is associated with the first human groups that entered America from Asia through the Bering Strait. Socially, they were grouped into small nomadic bands that based their subsistence on hunting and the gathering of fruits and seeds, without knowledge of agriculture or pottery.
There is no reliable data on these early occupations in Nicaragua. In 1976, it was suggested that the site known as “El Bosque” near Pueblo Nuevo, Estelí was a place where large animals were slaughtered, which were then swamped and hunted by man. The artifacts found at the site still raise controversy about their origin, as most specialists still do not agree on the authenticity of the objects found (Lange 1984: 169).
Period II (8000-4000 AD)
Between the Paleoindian period and the first agricultural settlements there is an intermediate period known as the “Tropical Archaic”. This period has been identified in various areas of Central America, but there is very little data in Nicaragua. The Tropical Archaic is characterized by changes in the subsistence strategies of indigenous populations. It is possible that the climate changes that occurred some 8000 years ago caused the extinction of large animals such as mammoths, saber-toothed tigers and others. Studies carried out in other areas of Central America suggest that populations maintained their subsistence based on the collection of fruits and seeds, with a reduction in hunting. In some privileged places, resources are continuously exploited, resulting in more sedentary populations that begin to manipulate some plant species, giving rise to crops such as corn, beans or squash.
Only one site has been located for the Tropical Archaic: the site known as Huellas de Acahualinca, near Lake Xolotlán.