THE NATIVE VILLAGE THAT HID HERNANDO DE SOTO’S FIRST CAMP IN AMERICA

THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE

Language created another barrier.

The Spanish had to communicate through interpreters, guides, gestures, and chains of translation.

A place name could be misunderstood.

A political title could be translated incorrectly.

A promise could have different meanings.

A Spanish writer might record a Native name in a form that later became difficult to recognize.

This helps explain why archaeologists cannot rely on spelling alone when searching for Capachequi.