gems, jade, Fischer, Central America, South America

This revised and expanded account of Nicaragua by American diplomat and archaeologist Ephraim George Squier describes the country’s geography, peoples, natural resources, antiquities, economy, political condition, and prospects for an inter-oceanic canal. Drawing on Squier’s travels and diplomatic service in Central America, it includes extensive observations on indigenous cultures and archaeological remains, with descriptions and illustrations of monuments, sculptures, pottery, stone implements, and personal ornaments. Of particular relevance to gemological and jade studies are references to pre-Columbian objects fashioned from valued green stones and other lapidary materials, as well as observations on Nicaragua’s mineral resources and indigenous use of stone. The volume is also important for documenting nineteenth-century interpretations of Central American antiquities before the development of modern archaeological methods. As a substantially revised, single-volume successor to Squier’s 1852 Nicaragua: Its People, Scenery, Monuments, and the Proposed Inter-oceanic Canal, it provides a useful early source for the archaeology, mineral resources, and material culture of Nicaragua.