Panama, pre-Hispanic tomb discovered filled with gold artifacts and pottery

In Panama, in the El Caño Archaeological Park in the hamlet of Natá, Coclé province, the tomb of an individual from the pre-Hispanic era, predating the period of the Spanish conquests, dating from 750-800 AD, has been discovered. Linette Montenegro, national director of Heritage at the Ministry of Culture, explained that the El Caño Foundation and the Ministry are pursuing the archaeological project related to Tomb No. 9 at El Caño National Archaeological Park. This is a long-term project launched in the 2022 season and financed through the “Cultural Cooperation Agreement No. 025-2021” between the Ministry of Culture and the El Caño Foundation for the development of the “El Caño Archaeological Project, campaigns 2021-2024.” Montenegro also pointed out that inside the tomb, in addition to ceramic artifacts, gold pieces belonging to the funerary trousseau of great historical and cultural value were found. The trousseau includes: five breastplates, two gold bead belts, four bracelets, two human-shaped earrings, one earring in the shape of a double crocodile, one necklace of small circular beads, five earrings with gold-covered sperm whale teeth, a set of circular gold plates, two bells, bracelets and skirts made of dog teeth, and a set of bone flutes.

Dr. Julia Mayo, director of the El Caño Foundation and supervisor of the archaeological project since the excavations began in 2008, explained that this collection may have been owned by a high-ranking adult man in the Rio domain. Dr. Mayo indicated that the tomb, dating back to 750 A.D., belongs to an important lord and other individuals who even now accompany him to the afterlife. He noted beyond that that the excavation is not complete, so it is unclear how many individuals are buried with him.

The man, however, appears to have been buried face down, according to a common practice, along with the body of a woman. The site of El Caño, is a necropolis built around 700 A.D. and abandoned about 1000 A.D. It included in addition to the famous monoliths, a cemetery and a ceremonial area with structures. Such burial sites provide scholars with a unique opportunity to delve into the complex social structure of hierarchical societies in pre-Columbian Central America, before the arrival of European colonizers.

“We call them multiple and simultaneous burials because they consist of the burial of a variable number of people (between 8 and 32 people) in the same grave of high-ranking people who were buried together with others previously sacrificed to serve as companions,” Mayo explained.

The pre-Hispanic tomb

The pre-Hispanic tomb

Panama, pre-Hispanic tomb discovered filled with gold artifacts and pottery

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