Nicaragua's pre-Columbian cultures left fewer monumental remains than the Maya or Aztec civilisations further north, but the archaeological record is rich in ceramics, figurines, and jade work — particularly from the Pacific coast peoples like the Chorotega and Nicarao. The anthropological collection within the National Palace of Culture assembles a good selection of this material in a coherent way.
The exhibition explains the indigenous geography of pre-conquest Nicaragua — which peoples lived where, how they were organised, and how they interacted with each other and with the very different cultures of the Caribbean coast. The jade jewellery and large polychrome ceramic vessels are the most visually impressive objects; the contextual displays that explain what the Spanish conquest actually looked like from the local perspective are equally valuable. The collection is worth an hour of any interested visitor's time.