Various pre-Columbian artifacts testify to the longtime occupancy of the
Monteverde region by a small population of Clovis Native Americans, who once
farmed in villages circa 3000 BC. Between roughly 3300 BC to 2000 BC, the
nearby tribes of the Arenal area experienced a population decline. These nearby
tribes re-established villages in the region between 2000 BC to 500 BC.
Agriculture intensified in the 500 BC to AD 300 period, with chiefdom societies
replacing small tribal societies. Intense deforestation accompanied
horticulture, and stone foundations dating to this period can be found. Jade
objects became
