ABSTRACT
Apart from Columbus’s description of the inhabitants of the north coast of Honduras in 1502, there are few accounts of the Indians of the northeast and east of the country during the sixteenth century since the greater part of the area remained unconquered and uncolonized. Tribal settlements were characterized by their smallness and uniformity of size, generally consisting of individual houses or small clusters of dwellings. In eastern Honduras Indians participated in agriculture, hunting, fishing, and gathering to various degrees. Where agriculture played a more significant role in the economy men may also have been employed in cultivation, although it was primarily a female activity. The social organization of Indian groups in eastern Honduras was characterized by its simplicity. In general there was no form of permanent leadership, although deference to age was universal and councils of elders often acted as advisors to the community.
