McCafferty, Geoffrey G.Rice, Shaelyn Jae2020-06-292020-06-292020-06-09Rice, S. J. (2020). Constructing the Past: Monumentality of the Bagaces and Sapoá Periods at the Site of El Rayo Granada, Nicaragua (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.http://hdl.handle.net/1880/112229Monumentality in the Intermediate Area has been a poorly explored avenue of analysis in favour of the more structurally impressive, vertically standing examples from Mesoamerican and Andean societies. Though specific countries in the Intermediate Area, such as Costa Rica, have been discussed in terms of architectural achievement and present examples of monumentality, Nicaragua, and by extent the Greater Nicoyan subregion, has been overlooked. This thesis looks to the lake shore site of El Rayo, on Lake Nicaragua, to overview the architectural features represented at the site over the course of four field seasons during the PAGN project. Differentiation between monument, memorials, and monumental memorials are discussed, and the known built forms at El Rayo, including structures, shrines, cache boxes, and standing stones, are detailed and evaluated. In total, 13 architectural features are detailed, dating from the Bagaces (500-800 AD) period to the Sapoá (800-1300 AD) period. Included in this thesis is an architectural energetics assessment of the four structural remains excavated at El Rayo.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.MonumentsArchitectural EnergeticsNicaraguaGreater NicoyaArchitectureArchaeologymaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/37955