Olancho is the largest of all the 18 departments into which Honduras is divided. The department covers a total surface area of 24,057 km² and has an estimated 2015 population of 537,306 inhabitants.
59-539: Juticalpa ( Spanish pronunciation: [xutiˈkalpa] ) is the capital of Olancho Department in Honduras, with a population of 75,790 (2023 calculation), and the municipal seat of Juticalpa Municipality. Situated in a broad river valley alongside the Rio Juticalpa, the town is a commercial centre for much of Olancho's ranching and agricultural economy. Its Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, devoted to
118-508: A Drug Enforcement Administration agent killed a suspect in Honduras, it was confirmed that the US government has been running covert operations in the Olancho area to combat drug trafficking. Many multinational corporations as well as charitable and religious organizations with personnel in Honduras actively discourage their members from visiting Olancho or suggest caution, as do the governments of
177-463: A gradual slope on the southwestern side of the Juticalpa river. There are many smaller communities in the surrounding area. Juticalpa's sister city, Catacamas , is located at the easternmost terminus of the paved Olancho highway. The Boulevard Los Poetas connects Barrio El Centro to the Olancho highway and receives Honduran intercity bus traffic. The main bus station is located at the beginning of
236-530: A hospital donated by the Japanese government, medical clinics, and a number of public and private schools. ATMs are easily found throughout the town and inside local bank branches. A new mall opened at the beginning of Boulevard Los Poetas, and four fully supplied supermarkets are well distributed across town. Recent road paving projects were finished in Barrio El Centro and Barrio de Jesús, but most of
295-423: A kilometre of the cave entrance, a settlement has been unearthed that has since been determined to be the largest site in the country of Honduras from the period. The site extends for over a third of a mile and contains at least 100 standing structures. Many aspects of the settlement (i.e., size, shape, distribution, central plazas, etc.) resemble those of many sites in southeastern Mesoamerica. Ceramics collected at
354-412: A mass exodus of Olanchanos to other parts of the country, reducing the population of Olancho. Manto lost his title of departmental head, which was transferred to Juticalpa. Three years later, in 1868, a young man Serapio Romero, known as Cinchonero , arrived in Juticalpa with a group of men to challenge Nazario Garay. Romero and Serapio dueled with machetes, with Serapio Romero victorious. Then, defying
413-429: A negotiable fee. THE MODERN CAVE: Your guide will instruct you to remain on the system of narrow elevated walkways that exist throughout the cave, and to be careful not to touch the delicate walls. Visitors barely set foot on the cave floor. The vast majority of the cave, including the ossuary, is off limits to public access. Public access is limited to about 500 meters, readers will note that discoverer accounts show that
472-580: A tropical rainforest with diverse wildlife and declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO , straddles the border of Olancho and the neighboring departments of Gracias a Dios and Colón . The Guayape River is famous for its placer gold with concessions where today the mining company Eurocantera ( Goldlake Group) exploits ethical gold . First exploited by the Spaniards during the colonial period, these gold deposits are still productive. Local men and women may be seen panning for gold in riverbanks during
531-741: Is Juticalpa , which is also the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Juticalpa , which covers the department. Rugged mountains rise in the western and northern portions of the department, notably the Sierra de Agalta, the Montaña de Tembladeros, and the Montaña de Botaderos. Vast pine and hardwood forests cover these mountains. Central Olancho has rolling plains, watered by the Guayape River and its affluents. These plains, sometimes called pampas due to their similarity to
590-547: Is Day Star School School, started by two Americans from Minnesota that serves pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. Juticalpa's fair is celebrated on 8–14 December and is dedicated to "The Virgin of Concepción". During this period several activities take place across the city's main streets, at the Parque Central and at the AGAO "Asociación de Ganaderos y Agricultores de Olancho". Being the commercial centre of Olancho, Juticalpa
649-421: Is able to offer a variety of local cuisine based on fresh produce, dairy and meat. Typical dishes include Carne Asada (one of the best offered in the country), the renowned Tapado Olanchano, Yuca con Chicharrón , Baleadas , Tacos , Tajaditas, Enchiladas , Pastelitos de Carne, and other local delicacies. Rosquillas, quesadillas and hojaldras are corn and cheese based; due to the extensive cheese resources, and
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#1732772573999708-469: Is primarily agricultural and commercial. Olancho 's wide, fertile river valleys support maize, cattle and dairy farms. Queso Olanchano a hard and salty cheese, and "Mantequilla Crema" white cream, are produced in great quantities at several dairies and exported throughout the country, the Central American region, and United States. Because of its proximity to successful farms and its position on
767-670: The Maya societies of nearby Mesoamerica. It provides many valuable clues to how the inhabitants of the Talgua Cave may have been an important link between Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and parts further south and east in Central America and extending into those societies in northern South America , a region known as the Isthmo-Colombian Area . For generations, residents of the nearby areas had known of and visited
826-588: The dry season . Extensive gold dredging is also underway during the dry season in much of the river , including deep into the mountainous regions of the Rio Patuca (into which the Guayape feeds). The Cave of Talgua , also known as "The Cave of the Glowing Skulls," is located near Catacamas . It was used as a burial site by the native peoples, and over time, the bones left there were covered by
885-528: The immaculate Conception , is the cathedral episcopal see of the suffragan Roman Catholic Diocese of Juticalpa . The Juticalpa area encompasses the Guayape River valley, bordered by the Sierra de Agalta range . Among the most notable of the small villages in the area is La Concepción and La Empalizada. The nearest town is Catacamas , 30 miles to the northeast. The climate is significantly warmer than Tegucigalpa or nearby Campamento because of
944-463: The "Boulevard Los Poetas" and several bus companies serve all of Olancho's 23 counties or "municipios". Two bus companies, Discovery and Aurora , send regular and executive service buses to Tegucigalpa and Catacamas . Juticalpa also has two public parks, Parque Central located in Barrio El Centro with the cathedral dedicated to the Virgin of Concepción on one side, and the city hall (alcaldía) on
1003-410: The 2017 New Orleans Film Festival , Best Cinematography at the 2017 Tulsa American Film Festival, and Best Feature Documentary Film at the 2017 Nevada City Film Festival. Olancho is distributed by First Run Features and is now available streaming on Kanopy and for purchase on Amazon. Cuevas de Talgua Talgua Cave ("Cave of the Glowing Skulls"; “Cueva del Rio Talgua ”) is a cave located in
1062-504: The Maya highland regions and jade from Maya areas of Guatemala . Whereas, items found to be made out of green, jade-like rocks indigenous to northeast Honduras were found not to be Jade at all, but jadeites or green rocks with a distinct talc feel (Cuddy 122). In further exemplification of the role of this area as an important buffer zone between Mesoamerica and southern Central and South America, Doris Stone (1966) has pointed out that much of
1121-471: The Maya of the period. In the words of one of the principal investigators of the site, James E. Brady: "To put the Talgua site into Maya perspective, the Talgua people may have been interacting with the Maya and had developed a level of civilization equal to any society known in the Maya area at that time." A surprising find relating to analysis of the bone protein stable isotopes is that the people buried in
1180-556: The Maya. During the initial investigation following the discovery of the main ossuary chamber within the cave, another tunnel containing three passageways was found. Within the primary ossuary chamber and the three additional passageways, 23 deposits containing human skeletal remains were discovered, at least 20 of which contained the remains of more than one person. All remains were described as appearing to be secondary burials that were moved from their initial burial sites. The bones were most likely packaged in cloth material and carried into
1239-820: The Olancho Valley (Salinas). Pech people, who speak a variation of the Chibchan languages of South America, can still be found in the Olancho Department in the area surrounding the site and along the Rio Talgua, as well as in the Colón Department . Other candidates for descendants include the Tawahka and the Tol people Despite the difficulty of determining for certain the exact identity of
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#17327725739991298-589: The Olancho Valley in the municipality of Catacamas in northeastern Honduras . The misnomer “The Cave of the Glowing Skulls” was given to the cave because of the way that light reflects off of the calcite deposits found on the skeletal remains found there. The site has gained the interest of archaeologists studying cave burials of Central America and of Mesoamerica as one of the most extensive Early to Middle Pre-Classic (~1000-900 BC in this case) ossuary cave sites currently known to have been in contact with
1357-527: The Talgua funerary site has been dated using radiocarbon dating to the Early to Middle Pre-Classic period (~1000 BCE). This type of burial site is normally seen as corresponding to some advancing form of social complexity, which greatly increases the site’s appeal to those interested in the study of societal development in Pre-Columbian Central and Mesoamerica and those societies interacting with
1416-479: The US, Canada, France, New Zealand and the UK, among others. At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Olancho Department had a population of 520,761. Of these, 94.54% were Mestizo , 3.39% White , 1.23% Indigenous (0.71% Pech , 0.21% Lenca , 0.16% Nahua ), 0.60% Black or Afro-Honduran and 0.24% others. Olancho was the subject of a 2017 feature-length documentary film of the same name. The documentary, which
1475-477: The Valle de Juticalpa's elevation. Several thunderstorms occur during the period of May through September (wet season). October, November and December are cooler and often cloudy with drizzle. From January through April, the region receives very little rain (Dry Season). During this season field fires are often observed, some are intentionally created due to an old unlawful practice for renewing crops, and others are
1534-406: The accessible portion of the cave. At the furthest allowed penetration into the cave you will arrive at a heavy barred doorway placed to protect against entry after the cave was thoroughly looted in 1994-1995. Nothing can be seen at this point, and your guide will tell you that this is the entry to the ossuary that lies just beyond. The true ossuary entrance lies some hundreds of yards - roughly double
1593-421: The area. In the 18th and 19th century, Olancho resisted government authority from Tegucigalpa, resulting in armed conflicts. On December 7, 1864, the arrest of a deputy named Rosales caused a rebellion against the highest authorities of the department and the central government. Led by Colonels Barahona, Zavala, and Antúnez, more than a thousand rebels marched towards Tegucigalpa in 1865. Faced with this situation,
1652-583: The area’s later fascination with gold came from the south and fascination with jade came from the Maya in the north. Items and beads of greenstone were in full production by around 500 CE. The Cuyamel ceramics found in northeastern Honduras are contemporaneous with the Olmec rise in the Middle Pre-classic period. It has not been definitively determined that Olmec art and culture would have spread to northeastern Honduras during this time period. However,
1711-454: The bottom of it. Many of the vessels were positioned in a manner resembling several cave burials at the site of Copán. The investigators of the site, however, have found evidence in further social stratification in the relationships of the vessels to the human remains. Determining the identity and languages of the people whose remains are located in the Talgua Cave has been a complicated and difficult endeavor because Rio Talgua, described during
1770-476: The calcite dripping from the ceiling, giving them an eerie, sparkling appearance. Radiocarbon testing indicated that the burials were made around 900 B.C., well before the rise of the Mayans and other civilizations. The ossuary chamber was discovered in 1994 by a Peace Corps volunteer named Timothy Berg, along with two Catacamas locals named Desiderio Reyes and Jorge Yáñez, and research is still being conducted in
1829-482: The cave did not eat an abundance of maize , the cultivation of which is normally seen as corresponding to advancements in social complexity and stratification within Pre-Columbian societies of Mesoamerica and surrounding areas. Instead, researchers suspect that manioc , or cassava root may have been the society’s primary means of subsistence. Along an ancient terrace on the west bank of the Rio Talgua, within
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1888-410: The cave through an old entrance no longer available. Further analysis indicated that the flesh had been removed and the bones were placed in small bundles before arrival to the cave. All of the bones were painted with a red pigment (determined through x-ray diffraction to be red ocher with numerous iron oxides and including hematite ). The pigment was also splattered on the ground and walls surrounding
1947-401: The cave, which appears to be due to its rapid and liberal application. All skeletal remains were preserved in and cemented to the ground by calcite . The water level within the cave made the remains found to be in two different contexts. Natural deterioration due to dripping and damage from vandalism had affected greatly those burials found on ledges and above the water level. However, all of
2006-462: The cave. A well developed and secure walking trail has been constructed of cement and iron from the road up to the cave entrance. In 1995 access included an oxcart trail followed by arduous trekking through the jungle, and fording the Talgua River. The park entrance charges a nominal fee of approximately $ 1(US) to Hondurans, and $ 20(US) to foreigners. A guide is required for tours of the cave for
2065-476: The cave. Berg and Cabe reported their find to Honduran and American archaeologists. After the initial discovery of the remains, James Brady, professor of anthropology at California State University, Los Angeles [1] and George Hasemann, head of the archaeology section of Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH) in Tegucigalpa began investigating the historical implications of the site related to
2124-465: The cave. The ossuary chamber, however, remained undiscovered until April 1994. Two United States Peace Corps volunteers, Greg Cabe and Tim Berg and three Hondurans, Jorge Yáñez and Desiderio Reyes, and Mariano Rodriguez were exploring the cave on the east bank of the Talgua River , about six kilometres from the city of Catacamas, when they first saw human skeletal remains about 600 metres inside
2183-411: The central government, Romero unearthed the heads of Colonels Barahona, Antúnez and Zavala, and he paid them a posthumous tribute. To this new rebellion, the government responded by sending a military contingent, who ended up defeating, capturing and beheading Romero. After these bloody events, Olancho became an almost depopulated department. Old independent sentiments persist among Olanchanos , although
2242-493: The ceramics are thought to have stylistic similarities to other Pre-Classic Mesoamerican ceramics and the presence of Olmec imagery is documented at Early Pre-Classic villages in northeastern, coastal Honduras, such as Puerto Escondido . Although not much can be said definitively about trade with Maya during the Early to Middle Pre-Classic, other than that it occurred, there are other, better-documented cases of Maya trade with northeastern Honduras during later periods. For example,
2301-514: The department's role as an agricultural producer has made it an integral part of the Honduran economy. The former president of Honduras, Porfirio Lobo , hails from the department, specifically from the city of Juticalpa . Also former president now congressman Manuel Zelaya Rosales is from the city of Catacamas , also from the department. The Olancho Department remained as one of the most violent areas in Honduras until 2012. In June 2012, after
2360-443: The distance into the cave that visitors are allowed to enter- beyond the barred door. The cave itself continues well beyond for roughly a mile into the mountain with several branches. About 2,000 feet beyond the barred door destruction of the cave interior dramatically decreases and a beautiful natural cave can be seen. Deep within the cave hundreds of crawl holes, many of which are impassable in wet season, were possible to explore in
2419-463: The high production of corn in the area, the best are found in Juticalpa, specifically in the village of La Concepción. In late years tilapia farms have been a success in the area, giving way to popularity and availability of fresh tilapia fish in many of Juticalpa's restaurants. The City's football team is Juticalpa F.C. , nicknamed "Los Canecheros", the stadium is called Juan Ramón Brevé Vargas . Olancho Department The departmental capital
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2478-490: The inhabitants of Talgua, many aspects of their society can be determined with some certainty. Based on finds at the Talgua Cave and at the Talgua Village Site, a definite affiliation with Mesoamerica and the Maya living in the area of Copán has been determined. The people at Talgua were linked in trade with the Maya and, reflected in many of the objects and architecture of the Talgua area, had many similarities to
2537-461: The inhabitants of this region and ancient northeastern Honduras cave burials. The IHAH supervised and authorized all archaeological exploration and protection of the cave. Traditionally, the majority of the archaeological focus in Honduras has been in the Maya ruins of Copán [2] , the pinnacle of which is normally associated with the Maya Classic period (~200-900 CE). The recent discovery of
2596-421: The majority of its prehistory. Architectural patterns and objects found at the Talgua settlement provide indicators of both social stratification and trade networks with the Maya. Jade and marble vessels found at the site are seen as items of prestige and clues to the degree of social stratification. In addition to the prestige items found, there were numerous items made of obsidian, which would have come from
2655-404: The middle of the dry season (March and April) and enjoy the wine at the sites, or transport the beverage to the marketplace in plastic bottles. The easiest place to find the drink is in the village of La Concepción, a few kilometers west of Juticalpa on the highway to Tegucigalpa . The city is served by various public and private schools, high schools and universities. One private bilingual school
2714-551: The most likely candidates for the lineage of the people at Talgua are the Lenca people and the Pech People (Paya). The Lenca people are generally considered to be Mesoamerican and are now spread among the following western Honduran Municipalities: La Paz Department , Comayagua Department , Intibucá Department , Lempira Department and Santa Bárbara Department . Although, evidence of Pre-Columbian Lencan culture can be traced to
2773-400: The offerings found in the cave are associated with the burials found above the water line. Burials below the water line were found to be within relatively deep (~ 1 metre) rimstone dams. In addition to the human skeletal remains, there were at least 20 intact and restorable ceramic vessels found in the cave. At least one of the vessels was “ceremonially killed” by having had a hole punched in
2832-455: The only paved highway in Olancho, Juticalpa's economy has led to relative prosperity. Despite its strong agricultural base, unemployment in Juticalpa is high. To support themselves, many citizens of Juticalpa run small stores called pulperías where they sell household items and food stores to neighbors. Juticalpa contains a number of small businesses, many restaurants (ranging from taco stands to dine-in establishments with air conditioning),
2891-558: The opposite side. The second smaller park Parque Infantil is located in Barrio Belén across the Santa Clara school. Remnants of pre-Columbian civilisations can be found occasionally in Barrio Belén. At the time of the 2013 Honduras census, Juticalpa municipality had a population of 124,828. Of these, 91.20% were Mestizo , 6.71% White , 1.05% Black or Afro-Honduran , 0.43% Indigenous and 0.60% others. Juticalpa's economy
2950-441: The ossuary is located about 1,000 meters within the cave. Nothing can be seen of significance within the cave, all cave formations including all but a few stalagmites high up in the ceiling were destroyed and removed by locals long before the discovery of the ossuary. Few caves show the level of destruction that exists in this cave, and it is doubtful that anyone not using powered machinery could do any noticeable further degradation to
3009-522: The period following the Spanish Conquest , fell on the border of a number of ethnic groups. A Spanish missionary named Father Fernando Espino described the Olancho Valley to be an area containing “more than two-hundred different nations and languages” in 1674. Although there are numerous links between the people of Talgua and the Maya cultures, the site is definitively and categorically not a Mayan site due to location and spoken language. Two of
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#17327725739993068-528: The president of the republic, General José María Medina , organized and led a military expedition to counter the rebels. At the end of the confrontation, Medina and his men imposed themselves on the rebels, capturing the leaders whom he shot, beheaded and buried. Several of the towns and villages of the Departments of Olancho Honduras were burned along with their inhabitants, and many of the rebels were killed in combat. Following this were many deportations and
3127-793: The quest for fame, or flee. Olancho premiered at the 2017 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana. Over the course of the following two years, the film went on to screen at dozens of international film festivals, including at the Rotterdam Film Festival in the Netherlands and the Berlin Film Festival in Germany. The film earned the Special Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature at
3186-747: The result of severe heat or arson; these fires create a thick blanket of smoke that settles over the Juticalpa Valley for almost a month. The air improves after the first rain. During the rainy season, the incidence of dengue fever is quite high due to the many mud puddles that become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The town is divided into twelve major neighbourhoods, called Barrios or "Colonias": Barrio El Centro, Barrio de Jesús, Barrio Calona, Barrio La Hoya, Barrio Belén, Colonia San Miguel, Barrio El Portillo, Barrio El Campo, Colonia El Campo Uno, Colonia El Campo Dos, Barrio El Cementerio, Barrio El Chicle and Barrio de la Cruz. The majority of town lies on
3245-403: The settlement were similar to those found at the ossuary, which links the settlement area to the ossuary as the probable area of primary habitation for those people found buried in the Talgua Cave. Ceramics from other sites in Honduras were of very little help in determining the chronology of the Talgua site because the northeast region of Honduras developed independently of other regions throughout
3304-524: The site of Naco was involved in steady trade with Maya areas of the Yucatán and may have been an intermediary trade location between the Maya and other cultures of Central America just prior to arrival of the Spaniards . A small piece of the Talgua Cave can be toured by the public. Travel to Catacamas, Olancho and continue on toward the caves, there are high quality roads and bridges that allow access to
3363-449: The town peripheral streets remain unpaved. The area serves as a transit hub for the tourists headed to The Sierra de Agalta National Park, and for tourists visiting The Cuevas de Talgua , limestone caves containing the calcified phosphorescent remains of ancient inhabitants of the area. In Honduras , Juticalpa is most famous for the production of an alcoholic palm Coyol tree wine known as coyol wine . Residents knock down palm trees in
3422-490: The vast Argentinian plains, are famous for their large cattle herds and extensive farming. The main cities, capital Juticalpa and Catacamas , are located there. The eastern part of the department is covered with rainforests , though the influx of impoverished, farmers and intense timber extraction have increased deforestation rates in the area. A portion of the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve ,
3481-438: Was directed and produced by American filmmakers Chris Valdes and Ted Griswold, focused on the lives of band members from Los Plebes de Olancho , a regional narco-corrido music band. The logline of the film is as follows: Manuel, a farmer from Olancho, Honduras, seeks fame by making music for the region’s drug cartels. When some of his song lyrics get him in trouble, Manuel must make the most difficult decision of his life: continue
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