Prehistoric settlement patterns on a cultural corridor: The Comayagua Valley, Honduras

This study is a preliminary reconstruction of prehistoric settlement patterns in the Comayagua Valley, Honduras. This 550 square kilometer highland basin forms a crucial link in the Central Honduran Corridor, a chain of valleys connecting Middle America to lower Central America. Previous archaeological research conducted here revealed a complex culture history spanning approximately 2500 years from the Early Preclassic Period ca. 1000 BC to the Spanish Conquest in 1536. Prehistoric settlement pattern data suggest the valley served as a barometer constantly responding to the changing political, religious, and economic climate on the SE Maya Periphery.