In 2011, in the province of Cocle in Panama, a major discovery was made. A pre-Columbian cemetery was found with the remains of bodies, weapons and artifacts made of gold that dated back to between 400 and 900 AD, a period in which the Maya civilization had reached their highest state of development.
The excavation that took place, in collaboration with the National Geographic Society and Panama’s National Institute of Culture and National Secretariat of Science, Technology, and Innovation, discovered several tombs of warriors that belonged to an unknown society. The tombs were found in multiple levels and the warriors were bathed in gold, making the discovery one of the richest discoveries in America.
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Hierarchical Society and Evidence of Chiefdom
An analysis of the tombs suggested that the society to which these individuals belonged was following a form of hierarchical organization (chiefdom). Archaeologist Julia Mayo first discovered the remains of a chieftain covered in embossed gold breast plates, arm cuffs, bracelets and a belt, as well as more than 2,000 small spheres (as shown in the picture) arranged in a way that suggested they were used as part of a sash. Surrounding the chief, 25 bodies were found carefully arranged. More tombs of chieftains were later discovered as well as skeletons of what could have been sacrificed slaves. Each digging brought to the surface more and more gold artifacts and at the bottom of the pit, 15 bodies in a very tight arrangement created the platform upon which the chieftain was supported.
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The skeletons placed in the excavation pit are meant to give visitors a perception of where things were located when archaeologists were digging. (Melissa Wong Zhang/CC BY-SA 2.0)
One of the more unusual finds were the bones of a very poisonous blowfish, which may have been used to kill all the people that were presumed to have been sacrificed for the chief. All the bodies surrounding the chief were covered in pieces of ceramic plates for unknown reasons. Among the findings there were axes, packets of stingray spines and a belt made of whale and jaguar teeth.
Among the jewelry and artifacts that were found, some were depictions of half human, half mythological creatures similar to werewolves and vampires according to project leader Julia Mayo of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
This is a picture of the Panamanian cultural heritage monument. (Mabelin/CC BY-SA 3.0)
The archaeological site of Caño de Nata, where the discovery was made, is not the first one of its kind. Sitio Conte is another archaeological site in the Coclé Province discovered in 1940, where a necropolis of more than 90 tombs was found, again belonging to an unknown society. Sitio Conte also dates back to between 450 and 900 AD.
The extraordinary amount of gold that was found at Sitio Conte and Caño de Nata shows how important it was for those societies and how it was used as a symbol of status. Whether the sites of Sitio Conte and Caño de Nata are related or not is unknown, although both sites have similarities in the burial arrangements and both sites are marked by ancient monoliths, as shown in the picture above.
Gold Pendant Conte Culture Panama 500 – 900 AD. (Mary Harrsch/CC BY 2.0)
What we do know is that the people were called Nata, and they were the first people that the Spanish met when they conquered the area. However, details of the Nata that used Sitio Conte and Caño de Nata as burial sites are unknown, as they were wiped out following the Spanish invasion, along with all traces of their civilization. Their destruction was so complete that we do not even know the language that they spoke.
In 2024, archaeologists uncovered the tomb of a prominent Coclé leader from the pre-Hispanic era, rich with golden treasures. An Ancient Origins article describes how this find marks a significant breakthrough in the region’s ancient history.
Top image: Gold Pendant Conte Culture Panama 500 – 900 AD. Source:Mary Harrsch/CC BY 2.0
By John Black
This article was first published in Jan 2014 and has been updated by an Ancient Origins editor in Dec 2024.
Source: www.ancient-origins.net