- Up to 31 sacrificial companions were discovered at the site
- Archaeologists found belts made with gold beads and earrings with gold casings
- The buried gentleman was buried face down on the body of a slain female companion
The tomb of an important ancient gentleman was discovered at an archaeological site in Panama.
Inside the tomb, which is about 1,200 years old, archaeologists have discovered a lavish collection of gold treasures: belts made with gold beads, gold-coated earrings with whale teeth and a set of round gold plates.
But the tomb of the chief of Colcé (750-800 AD), who was between 30 and 40 years old at the time of his death, contained something darker: the bodies of sacrificial victims intended to bring their lord to to accompany the afterlife. ‘
As many as 31 other people were buried with the ancient ruler, although the actual number remains unknown as excavations of the tomb at the El Caño Archaeological Park are ongoing.
Archaeologists have unearthed belts made with gold beads, gold-coated earrings with whale teeth and a set of round gold plates
However, the site offered more than just treasure: the remains of as many as 31 sacrificial victims were also unearthed
Archaeologists made the discovery at El Caño Archaeological Park, home to an ancient necropolis used between 700 and 1000 AD
The mighty lord was laid to rest in a position customary for this elaborate form of burial.
According to a statement from the Panamanian Ministry of Culture, the high-status man was buried “face down.”
And he was buried on top of “the body of a woman.”
For researchers, the richness of the discovery lay not in the gold loot, but in the method of burial.
Archaeologists call these types of collective burials multiple and simultaneous burials.
“We call them that because they consist of funerals of a variable number of people (between eight and 32 people”), Dr. Julia Mayo, the person who led the excavation, told the Panamanian Ministry of Culture.
These people were sacrificed before burial so that they could accompany their lord to the afterlife.
Sitio El Caño, where the tomb was discovered, served as a necropolis (a city for the dead) from 700 AD to 1000 AD, when it was abandoned for unknown reasons. It once contained monoliths, a cemetery and a ceremonial space.
The tomb was built around 750 AD and excavators have also unearthed ceramic artifacts and jewelry.
They found five pecs, four bracelets, two earrings in the shape of human figures (a man and a woman), an earring in the shape of a double crocodile, bells, plaques and a necklace.
There were also bracelets and skirts made from dog teeth, and a set of bone flutes.
The Ministry of Culture praised the find not only because it was of ‘economic value’, but also of ‘incalculable historical value’.