A short time before we left Canada, a friend sent me a link to a National Geographic article on an important archaeological dig here in Panama.  The article outlined the history of a site called El Cano and another closely associated place called Sitio Conte, about two miles away.  This area was inhabited between about 200AD through 1500AD and at its peak it is estimated that it contained up to 40,000 people.  These people were called Nata and they were the ones the Spanish met when they first conquered this area.

This was the time when the Mayan civilization was beginning to wind down.

It was an interesting story of looting, persistence, gold, and ancient chiefs with an archaeological history dating back to the early 1900s and brings to mind the Indiana Jones series of movies.  The most current work was begun in 2005 and is being led by a young archaeologist, Julia Mayo who is associated with the  Smithsonian Institute.

So, in an attempt to add a little history to this otherwise entertaining blog, we decided to check it out and let you know what we found.

A notable sign that the Panama government is recognizing the importance of this site is the construction of a brand new road, that starts from just outside El Cano and ends at the gate of the fenced archaeological site.  Previously, the road was a rutted mud road that was impassable during the rainy season without four-wheel drive.

The fenced site at El Cano has several unearthed burial mounds, a small museum, the remnants of an ancient temple, a covered excavation that has several sets of visible bones, and a National Geographic excavation that is now under way.  On the surface there is not much to see but just to be there and walk around the site evokes such a feeling of ancient history.

We took our friend Octav with us, which turned out to be a very good idea as our guide only spoke Spanish.  Octav was able to translate the information for us to make the visit to the small museum much more interesting.  While we were there, a small group of visitors was being guided through the site by Julia Mayo the responsible archaeologist.

We learned that an American archaeologist  visited the El Cano site in about 1924 and removed a series of statues from the temple area, leaving only the bases and taking them to the US where they still reside.  The current work is yielding large amounts of gold and a rich collection of burial paraphernalia that is being moved to Panama City for storage due to the remoteness of the dig site and concerns for security.  The Nata Chiefs that are here were buried with all of their immediate family, who were killed when the king died, with the exception of one son.

This is a place worth the trip.  Just go 27K west of Penonome on the Pan-American highway and look for the signs to the town of El Cano and the archaeological site.  When you arrive at the town, the road splits.  Stay on the road to the left of the church.  The site is about three kilometers down the road.

A recent dig in Central America revealed new clues to the unnamed civilization that archaeologists simply call “the golden chief’s culture.” In the newly excavated tombs, National Geographic reports, archeologists found 1,000-year-old gold, gems and “hints of pufferfish murder.”

These finds at El Caño are the first of the central Panama culture since a nearby site, Sitio Conte, was excavated in the 1930s. National Geographic reports that El Caño had interested treasure hunters before, but they only found graves of commoners.

According to National Geographic, archaeologist Julia Mayo with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute began conducting ground surveys of the site in 2005 and began finding a pattern of circular burials. In 2008, the archeologist’s team uncovered the tomb of a chief and a more recent second tomb discovery has led to more clues.

National Geographic has more:

The most recent dig, in early 2011, uncovered a similarly adorned chief in a multilevel burial pit once sheltered by a wooden roof. Surrounding this golden chief are at least 25 carefully arranged bodies, making the assemblage the largest of the six El Caño burials revealed to date, according to Mayo, who received funding from the Panamanian government as well as the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration and Expeditions Council. (The Society owns National Geographic News.)

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At the bottom of the pit, the chief himself was supported by a sort of platform created from the tight arrangement of 15 bodies.

Archaeologists sift for the breast plate of the chief. (Photo: David Coventry/National Geographic)

Mayo believes the extra bodies were either sacrifice or suicide, but an interesting clue showed up that could allude to sacrifice and murder. National Geographic reports that the bones of a pufferfish, “a very poisonous fish”, were found in the tomb. She also notes that the extra bodies had pieces of plates face down on their chests; a similar practice was reported at Sitio Conte.

John Hoopes, an anthropologist from the University of Kansas, is reported as saying the two groups — Sitio Conte and El Caño — should be considered separate civilizations. Thus far, Hoopes considers this dig the most significant find to date for this civilization. National Geographic reports that very little historical record has been found and Hoopes attributes this in part to early invasion by the Spanish.

In addition to gold and precious jewels, Mayo reports finding axes, stingray spines and a belt made of whale, all of which she hopes will continue to shed light on the civilization. Archaeology News Network reports Mayo as saying she there are about 20 more tombs to excavate. Given that it has taken her team four years to uncover two graves, at this rate it would be nearly 200 more years before all graves had been thoroughly searched, according to Archeology News.

Saraivla was an ancient city built of wood and inhabited by two cultures around 600 BC until the wooden city was destroyed by fire from the Volcano in Volcan Baru Chiriqui, Panama. Archaeologists’ estimate the city was completely

consumed by fire around 30 AD. Although the principal city of Saraivla was fortified by wood fences and the homes were all made of wooden huts, the inhabitants were also skilled craftsmen and farmers that also worked agriculture, metalworking including precious minerals used such as gold, silver and copper work manufacturing. The remnant survivors who fled the burning city Saraivla migrated south to the central highlands of present-day Colombia’s Eastern Range and continued the Muisca Confederacy.

The union formed between the two cultures inhabiting Saraivla was called the Muisca Confederacy because king Muisca of the city Saraivla was known for dancing around a golden box of thunder. King Muisca made an alliance with a group of people migrating from South America. The union is estimated took place around 550 BC. After the destruction of their city Saraivla around 30 AD the remaining survivors migrated south to the central highlands of Colombia.

Archaeologists and a petrographer found under close examination in the ancient writings excavated in the site of Barriles Volcan Chiriqui Panama, the name Muska, and traced the name of the king Muisca to originally being written as Muska.

The name Muska had evolved over time with a partial change in the spelling by the time the Spanish had arrived the great ruler´s name evolve into Muisca. This was one of the main sources of historical evidence that made a link between the ancient civilizations inhabiting Central America with the Jews. Muska is a biblical name, he is one of the sons of Japheth (Hebrew. יפת, Latin Iafeth, Arabic: يافث)

By the time the Spanish Empire in 1537 discovered the people called Muisca they were Chibcha-speaking people that formed the Muisca Confederacy of the central highlands of present-day Colombia’s Eastern Range. The Muisca were mostly divided by allegiances to three great Kings: the Zaque, centered in Chunza, ruling a territory roughly covering modern southern and northeastern Boyacá and southern Santander; and the Zipa, centered in Bacatá, its territory embarking most of modern Cundinamarca, the western Llanos and northeastern Tolima; and the Iraca, ruler of Suamox and modern northeaster Boyacá and southwestern Santander.

The three kings of the Muisca civilization have names that also relate back to the ancient Middle East and Israel. The names Zaque, Zipa and Iraca are names that associate with Hebrew and Arabic languages.

These three kings told the Spanish conquerors that their roots stem back to a lost city of gold called Saraivla. This legend excited the Spanish and many explorers since then have tried to find El Dorado the lost city of gold.

In the National Geographic an article titled “El Dorado Legend” mentions the ancient artwork, on display at the Gold Museum in Bogota, Colombia, shows the origin of the El Dorado myth. Legend tells of a Muisca king who would cover himself in gold dust during festivals, then dive from a raft into Lake Guatavita.

 For more information regarding the Muisca king in “El Dorado Legend” National Geographic

please visit: http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/el-dorado/

Volcan Baru National Park covers approximately 35,000 acres near the Talamanca Mountains, and features volcanic cliffs, forests and rainforests. Some of the trees in the forests are more than 600 years old. On a sunny day, both oceans and a good portion of eastern Panama can be seen from the slopes of the Baru Volcano. This park protects ten important rivers such as the Caldera, Chiriquì, David, Platanal, Pedra, Escarrea and Gariché Rivers. The waters from the Caldera River are important to Panama because it generates a lot of hydro-electric power for the entire country.

Over 250 bird species have been identified in the park, including the beautiful quetzal, the spectacular black and white hawk eagle, the black-bellied hummingbird, the brown violet ear, the black-cheeked warbler, the yellow-thighed finch and the black guan. All five of the species of cat that are native to Panama are found here, with the Puma being the most common. Other mammals frequently found in the park include the endangered Underwoods water mouse, porcupines and a large number of bat species.

The park contains well known sites of historical and biological importance, including the Pipeline road (Camino del Oleoducto), and Camino de Cruces. The Pipeline road is particularly known for the diversity of bird species, and held the record for the most identified bird species in one day for nineteen consecutive years. The most common mammals to the area include howler monkeys, white faced monkeys, anteaters, harpy eagles, agouti (a large rodent), collared peccary, jaguarundi (a medium sized wild cat), cayman and white tailed deer.

The park is an important archeological location, and houses the ruins of the oldest pre-Columbian village in Panama, dating back over 11,000 years. Many clay and stone artifacts were recovered here which have been extensively studied by scientists. Species of plants and flowers such as the mangrove and laurel are found here, as are a prevalence of slow growing trees. Birds found in the park include pelicans and kingfishers, as well as 162 species of migratory birds.

The park is considered the most barren region of the country, with 43 inches of rain per year and average temperatures of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit. This creates a desert landscape that is in stark contract to the rest of Panama. The beauty of these unique landscapes is the main attraction of this national park, and worth a visit.

The park is located approximately 1 ½ hours from Panama City, and includes about 44 miles of beach front between the Bay of San Cristóbal to the north, and the Bay of Good luck to the south. It encompasses the city of San Felipe de Portobelo, who gives name to the protected area, was founded on May 20, 1597 by D. Francisco Valverde. The city reached it’s high point in the middle of the 17th century when it became the place in which all the wealth coming from many South American countries was concentrated. The fort of San Fernando, the Trench, the fort of Santiago and the castle of San Felipe, are preserved in the Historical Monumental Set of Portobelo. The governments of Panama and Spain have recently collaborated to restore the old House of Customs, one of the main colonial constructions of this historical city.

The Metropolitan Nature Park, or Parque Natural Metropolitano, is one of the only national parks located within a metropolitan capital. It is a short 10-15 minute drive from Panama City and adjacent to Las Cruces Trail National Park. The park consists of approximately 573 acres of pacific dry forest, which is home to many species of butterflies, birds, reptiles and mammals.

The park has three main trails that are well maintained and easy to access. The trails include several look out points that provide panoramic views of Panama City, the Miraflores Locks, the port of Balboa and the Panama Canal. The grounds of the park include a small museum, a library and a gift shop.

Park Hours

The park hours are 6am to 5pm daily. The library is open 10:30am to 4pm Monday through Friday, and Saturday 8:30 to 1:00pm.

The Las Cruces Trail National Park is located about 9 miles from Panama City, and spans 11,000 acres between Soberania National Park and Metropolitan National Park. This is an important ecological corridor composed of heavily forested land which protects the natural flow of animals and birds between these two parks, as well as a portion of the Panama Canal.

Within this forested region there are large trees such as the cotton tree, cuipo, wild plum, and oak. There are also guayacan trees in this area whose spectacular flowers appear in April at the end of the dry season.

Many bird species make this park their home such as the crested eagle, pheasant cuckoo, the red and green macaw and the slaty-tailed trogon. Animals that can be found here include the Titi monkey, Geoffroy’s Tamarin monkey, armadillos, roe deer, white tailed deer, white nosed coati, agouti and the three fingered sloth.

The park covers approximately 15,000 acres and is located on the continental divide. It is famous for its rubber trees and because it is considered a cloud forest. The park protects important watersheds of this area such as the Bermejo, Marta, Blanco, Guabal and Lajas rivers. El Cope National Park contains a point called El Mirador, where on days with good weather, you can see both the Caribbean and Pacific oceans from this one spot. However, El Cope is known for the mists, fog and precipitation that enshroud this forest during certain times of the year, which can make it difficult to enjoy this view.

This park is not as well known as the other Panama National Parks, and the facilities are definitely more rustic, so be sure to bring your own food and water. A four wheel drive vehicle is most likely necessary to navigate around the park. The forests in this park are among the most beautiful in Panama and offer superb bird watching opportunities. Some species found within this area include the golden-olive woodpecker, red-fronted parrot, immaculate antbird, white-throated shrike-tanager and redheaded barbet. Several species of endangered felines live in the park such as the jaguar, puma, and ocelot. Populations of tapir, wild pig and white tailed deer also make the park their home.