This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations .(February 2022) |
Sitio Sierra is an archaeological site located in the Herrera Province of Parita Bay in Panama. It lies in the south-central portion of the country, twelve kilometers from where the Santa Maria River meets the Pacific Ocean. Archaeologists have asserted that it was a nucleated agricultural village presumed to have thrived during the Late Occupation Sequence until the Spanish conquest. It was probably an egalitarian society along with other sites from the same region and time period (such as Cerro Mangote). It contains domestic features including cemeteries, middens, and ancient houses. The area includes two main periods portrayed by more recent settlement areas that are stratified above an earlier cemetery. Systematic pedestrian surveys published in an article by Richard E. Cooke in 1979 hypothesize that the original ancient habitat might have covered at least 45 hectares (Hallar, 2004).
Sitio Sierra contains some gold artifacts that are considered some of the oldest of the region. The gold pieces have been described as probably being cut from molded flat sheets, and then spiraled into ornaments. Spondylus (shellfish) found at the site are considered especially important because of the nutritional benefits that they probably provided for the inhabitants. Evidence in the middens and around the site also suggest the transformation of shells into tools and goods. A large amount of red beads made from the shells are found throughout the site according to a study done by Sanchez and Herrera in 1995. Sitio Sierra is the only site in Panama that contains prismatic blade production while lacking any access to chert projections. This causes scientists to infer a system of trade with other local cities that have produced evidence for these resources. Based on chipped rocks found in association with other stone tools in the area, archaeologists hypothesize that these people probably were accustomed to sharpening and re-sharpening axes, but no artifacts have been found in association with axe manufacturing. This was hypothesized by Richard Cooke in 1979. His articles also support the possibility of stone-tool trade between ancient Panamanian cities.
There have been extensive excavations under an elliptical structure that was probably a house. Scientists have revealed a cemetery that consists of 25 individuals along with other items such as stingray spines, fool’s gold (pyrite), axes, and pottery from the La Mula phase (AD 250). Archaeologists have speculated whether there are any religious or ideological connections with the goods found among the bodies. Various inconsistencies of these items occur between this site and other local sites according to research done by Mikael Haller in 2004. Some scientists suggest that the hoard of goods represent differences in social ranks, while others suggest that the goods might be indicators of occupation or sex rather than rank.
The faunal fossils found in the area belong mostly to estuarine fish supporting marine diet concentrations approaching as high as 73%. The presence of non-estuarine fossil evidence supports the claim that the Paleo-Indian peoples tapped into their fresh-water resources for food in addition to marine selections from Parita Bay. Non-estuarine remains have been calculated to account for as much as 11% of the diet. In addition, fossil evidence for over 400 species of birds and other animals include the orange-chinned parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis), crested bobwhite (Colinus cristatus), possible mangrove cuckoo (Coccyzus minor), groove-billed ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris), great-tailed grackle (Cassidix mexicanus), giant toad (Bufo marinus), a lizard (Ameiva ameiva), Green Iguana (Iguana iguana), mud turtle (Kinosternon spp.), painted terrapin (Chrysemys scripta), several species of shark (superorder Selachimorpha), estuarine fishes, non-estuarine marine fishes, freshwater fish, mangrove and mudflat mollusks, and mudflat crabs (Haller 2004).
In addition to the consumption of fish and terrestrial animals, most of the macrobotanical remains are from maize. Maize was probably the most important and steady source of botanical food in the area. After extensive bone analysis, archaeologists have hypothesized that by the time Sitio Sierra was occupied by larger populations in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, maize had become a dominant source of nutrition compared to other ancient Panamanian cities that flourished at the same time such as Cerro Mangote.
Sitio Sierra is thought by archaeologists to have been a nice location for settlement because of its multiple natural resources for fishing, and its well vegetated surroundings that supported habitats for terrestrial animals plants. Its relatively large population of around 1,000–2,000 occupants would have made it one of the most densely populated areas in the region at that time. One small, oval-shaped foundation found on the site contains some rather novel and innovative amenities including roofing made from palm, and ovens made from clay and rocks. There is strong evidence for deforestation occurring in the area approximately during the 1st century. Since marine sources account for the largest food resource for Sitio Sierra, scientists ponder how these fish would be transferred over 12 kilometers along the Santa Maria River without rotting. One claim is that these people must have had some knowledge of food preservation, and the use of salt as a preservative. Salt may have been traded between several coastal sites for this reason.
During the early to late pre-ceramic periods (4,000–1,200 BCE), several Panamanian villages located in the Partia Bay were occupied simultaneously. These findings point to population increases in the area, and the transition of sites like Sitio Sierra from small habitats to large nucleated villages. Scientists speculate whether this contributed to the environmental degradation observed in the site's stratigraphy. Another hypothesis supported by isotopic evidence at the site suggests that the people of Sitio Sierra practiced slash and burn farming techniques that may have contributed to soil infertility and the loss of vegetation. Another curious element of Sitio Sierra is the large amount, and variety of bird fossils that cover the site. Many of the birds are now either extinct, or have habitats that are only observed in other regions of South America. Scientists ponder whether the birds had some religious or ideological complexities.
Two rock middens located about 10 kilometers closer to the Pacific Ocean named Vampiros-1 and Vampiros-2 are thought to have been occupied anywhere from 7,000 to 11,500 BP. Scientists speculate whether it was used for the preparation of fish or for travel purposes as an ancient Paleo-Indian hotel. People may have lived in this area during Sitio Sierra's occupation as well, but it is more likely that the site was used as a relay point to preserve fish with salting techniques for the long walk or canoe ride back to the inland village(s). Studies done with aerial photography suggest that Vampiros-1 and Vampiros-2 were probably on the ocean shoreline during the time of Sitio Sierra's occupation. There is speculation that the Vampiros sites could have been later surrounding villages' original habitats, and scarce resources might have caused these people to move further inland at some point to gain the stability and sustenance of multiple resources. No terrestrial bones have been found in the older strata at Vampiros-1 or Vampiros-2.
Los Santos is a province in Panama, reaching from the La Villa river in the North to the Pacific Ocean in the south and east. It is part of the Azuero Peninsula, bounded by the province of Herrera to the north and northeast, and by Mariato District of Veraguas Province to the West. The City of Las Tablas is the capital and most populous city. There are seven administrative districts under the jurisdiction of Los Santos Province. Los Santos's area is 3,809.4 km ², and its population is 98,466 inhabitants in 2023.
A midden is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics, and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation.
Watson Brake is an archaeological site in present-day Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, from the Archaic period. Dated to about 5400 years ago, Watson Brake is considered the oldest earthwork mound complex in North America. It is older than the Ancient Egyptian pyramids or Britain’s Stonehenge. Its discovery and dating in a paper published in 1997 changed the ideas of American archaeologists about ancient cultures in the Southeastern United States and their ability to manage large, complex projects over centuries. The archeologists revised their date of the oldest earthwork construction by nearly 2000 years, as well as having to recognize that it was developed over centuries by a hunter-gatherer society, rather than by what was known to be more common of other, later mound sites: a more sedentary society dependent on maize cultivation and with a hierarchical, centralized polity.
The Gulf of Panama is a gulf of the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Panama, where most of eastern Panama's southern shores adjoin it. The Gulf has a maximum width of 250 kilometres, a maximum depth of 220 metres (722 ft) and the size of 2,400 square kilometres (930 sq mi). The Panama Canal connects the Gulf of Panama with the Caribbean Sea, thus linking the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Panamanian capital Panama City is the main urban centre on the gulf shore.
The Caloosahatchee culture is an archaeological culture on the Gulf coast of Southwest Florida that lasted from about 500 to 1750 AD. Its territory consisted of the coast from Estero Bay to Charlotte Harbor and inland about halfway to Lake Okeechobee, approximately covering what are now Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties. At the time of first European contact, the Caloosahatchee culture region formed the core of the Calusa domain.
Ancient Maya cuisine was varied and extensive. Many different types of resources were consumed, including maritime, flora, and faunal material, and food was obtained or produced through strategies such as hunting, foraging, and large-scale agricultural production. Plant domestication concentrated upon several core foods, the most important of which was maize.
"Las Vegas culture" is the name given to many Archaic settlements which flourished between 8000 BCE and 4600 BCE near the coast of present-day Ecuador. The name comes from the location of the most prominent settlement, Site No. 80, near the Las Vegas River and now within the city of Santa Elena. The Las Vegas culture represents "an early, sedentary adjustment to an ecologically complex coastal environment."
Pikillaqta is a large Wari culture archaeological site 20 kilometres (12 mi) east of Cusco in the Quispicanchi Province.
Guana Island is an island of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in the Caribbean. One of the few remaining privately owned islands in its part of the world, Guana has seven white powder-sand beaches and 850 acres (3.4 km2) of tropical forest, mountains, hills, and valleys. The island is mostly natural preserve and has a small resort.
The archaeology of Iowa is the study of the buried remains of human culture within the U.S. state of Iowa from the earliest prehistoric through the late historic periods. When the American Indians first arrived in what is now Iowa more than 13,000 years ago, they were hunters and gatherers living in a Pleistocene glacial landscape. By the time European explorers visited Iowa, American Indians were largely settled farmers with complex economic, social, and political systems. This transformation happened gradually. During the Archaic period American Indians adapted to local environments and ecosystems, slowly becoming more sedentary as populations increased. More than 3,000 years ago, during the Late Archaic period, American Indians in Iowa began utilizing domesticated plants. The subsequent Woodland period saw an increase on the reliance on agriculture and social complexity, with increased use of mounds, ceramics, and specialized subsistence. During the Late Prehistoric period increased use of maize and social changes led to social flourishing and nucleated settlements. The arrival of European trade goods and diseases in the Protohistoric period led to dramatic population shifts and economic and social upheaval, with the arrival of new tribes and early European explorers and traders. During the Historical period European traders and American Indians in Iowa gave way to American settlers and Iowa was transformed into an agricultural state.
Gran Coclé is an archaeological culture area of the so-called Intermediate Area in pre-Columbian Central America. The area largely coincides with the modern-day Panamanian province of Coclé, and consisted of a number of identifiable native cultures. Archaeologists have loosely designated these cultures by pottery style. The poorly studied La Mula period ranged from 150 BC to AD 300. It was followed by the Tonosi period, from AD 300 to AD 550, and by the Cubita period, from AD 550 to AD 700. A unified Native American culture appears to have flourished in this area from approximately 1200 BC until the 16th century.
Barriles is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Panama. It is located in the highlands of the Chiriquí Province of Western Panama at 1200 meters above sea level. It is several kilometers west of the modern town of Volcán. This places the site in the Gran Chiriquí culture area. The site was originally named for several small stone barrels found in the area, although these have also been found elsewhere in the Río Chiriquí Viejo valley and in Costa Rica. This area has a cool, spring-like climate with a pronounced rainy season between May and November, and a dry but windy season the rest of the year. The region lies on the western flanks of Volcán Barú, a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Panama.
Monagrillo is an archaeological site in south-central Panama with ceramics that have been shown by radiocarbon dating to have an occupation range of about 2500 BC—1200 BC. The site is important because it provides the earliest example of ceramics in Central America along with one of the earliest examples of maize agriculture in the region. The site lies along Panama's most fruitful seacoast. and reached a maximum living area of 1.4 ha
Sitio Conte is an archaeological site located in the Coclé province of Panama near Parita Bay. It can best be described as a necropolis and a "paradigmatic example of a ranked or chiefdom society". Based on dates from the goldwork and polychrome ceramics found at the site, its use is dated from approximately AD 450–900. While the site has remained untouched since the final excavations in 1940, its mortuary remains are considered to be a critical resource to archaeologists, as they aid in the interpretation of the social dynamics in the region between AD 500 and 1500.
Oña Canton is a canton of Ecuador, located in the Azuay Province. Its capital is the town of Oña, Ecuador. Its population at the 2001 census was 3,231.
Dolores Rita Piperno is an American archaeologist specializing in archaeobotany. She is a senior scientist emeritus of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Balboa, Panama and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington.
Fort Center is an archaeological site in Glades County, Florida, United States, a few miles northwest of Lake Okeechobee. It was occupied for more than 2,000 years, from 450 BCE until about 1700 CE. The inhabitants of Fort Center may have been cultivating maize centuries before it appeared anywhere else in Florida.
El Caño is one of Panama's most important archaeological sites, located in the area surrounding El Caño. Over the course of the 20th century archaeologists have been discovering several pre-Columbian burial sites at this location that are believed to date between 700 and 1000 AD. These burial sites have helped researchers gain a better understanding of the dynamic system of the hierarchical chiefdom-based societies created by the people who lived in this region of Central America before contact with Europeans.
The Gulf of Panama mangroves (NT1414) is an ecoregion along the Pacific coast of Panama and Colombia. The mangroves experience seasonal flooding with high levels of sediment, and occasional extreme storms or very low rainfall due to El Niño effects. They are important as a breeding or nursery area for marine species. Areas of the mangroves have been recognized as Important Bird Areas and Ramsar wetlands. The ecoregion has been severely degraded by clearance of mangroves for agriculture, pasturage and shrimp farming, by urban pressure around Panama City, and by pollution related to the Panama Canal.
Richard G. Cooke was an archaeologist who specialized in the archaeology of Panama and, more generally, the Isthmo-Colombian Area.