An alchemy of medieval Honduras

Abstract This paper argues that geological materials, which modern European thought views as inert, were understood lively or animated by indigenous people living between 700 and 1200 AD in what today is the nation of Honduras. Spanish colonial petitions, oral traditions collected folklore ethnographic narratives from descendants these present earthly matter animate. Exploring liveliness materials before invasion leads to displacement a traditional archaeological notion spatialization organized around an opposition settlements, treated locus cultural activity, their surroundings, identified contrasting ‘nature’. Identifying co-presence specific zones mountainous terrain recognizing mobility mountains floodplains new understanding spatialities temporalities humans enmeshed with wilful substances, co-producing objects are never entirely removed matter.