Authorities from the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) and the National Emergency Commission (CNE) have identified a potential archaeological discovery during the reconstruction process of the Buena Vista Rural High School in Pérez Zeledón.

The works are being executed as part of the Emergency Program for Comprehensive and Resilient Infrastructure Reconstruction (Proeri) under an official CNE emergency declaration.

National Museum Activates Inspection Protocol

Following the initial identification, the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ), through the National Museum of Costa Rica, activated specialized protocols to handle the site appropriately. An archaeology specialist will be dispatched directly to the educational center to conduct an on-site evaluation.

Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth, explained that the technical visit will establish the origin, nature, and reach of the materials uncovered.

“Costa Rica possesses an immense archaeological heritage that we must protect. When faced with a discovery of this nature, it is our duty to act responsibly, following technical criteria and what is established by our legislation.

We acknowledge MEP’s immediate response in securing the site. Now it is up to the National Museum to conduct the inspection and, based on those results, outline the next steps,” stated Rodríguez.

Next Steps and Evaluation Criteria

The assigned specialist will analyze key factors at the site, including:

• Site Extent: The boundaries of the area where materials have been detected.
• Artifact Characteristics: The type and condition of the archaeological evidence.
• Material Dispersion: How widely the items are spread across the excavation site.

Once the National Museum presents its technical results, authorities will establish a management roadmap for the National Archaeological Heritage:

1. Targeted Rescue: If the evidence is confirmed to be limited to a specific, localized area, experts may perform a targeted rescue operation to collect the artifacts without significantly halting construction.
2. Comprehensive Intervention: If materials span a larger area or require extensive excavation, a broader preservation roadmap will be designed based on the site’s unique features.

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