Nicaragua canal developers collect 15,000 artefacts along route
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Pre-Columbian artefacts recovered along the cana route [Credit: Reuters/Oswaldo Riva] |
The vast majority of artifacts were apparently shards of pottery or other materials such as obsidian, dating from around 500 B.C. to the 1500s. Such pieces are relatively commonly found in parts of the region.
Roman called it the first phase of archaeological studies related to the canal.
"These are artifacts of indigenous peoples that have significant value," said Bernard Li, an HKND spokesman in Managua.
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Archaeologist
Jorge Zambrana looks at pre-Columbian artefacts in a laboratory at the Palace of Culture in Managua February 5, 2015 [Credit: Reuters/Oswaldo Riva] |
The canal has an estimated price tag of $50 billion and developers have targeted 2019 for completion. The government promises 50,000 directly related jobs and an economic boost for the second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
But the project has also sparked protest from residents of towns in the canal's path who fear they will be displaced and not properly compensated.
Ecologists worry about potential environmental damage, and President Daniel Ortega's political opponents have called the canal deal a giveaway and a boondoggle.
Source: Associated Press [February 05, 2015]
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