The treasure uncovered by archaeologists in Panama (Credit: Ciudad del Saber/Panama Culture Ministry)
Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient tomb with an ‘astonishing’ gold treasure – alongside a darker discovery, suggesting humans were sacrificed at the behest of a powerful leader.
The discovery of the 1,200-year-old tomb and treasure in Panama is like something out of Tomb Raider.
Precious items found buried in the El Caño Archaeological Park, around 110 miles from Panama City, were buried with a high-ranking chief of the Coclé culture.
A more sinister find by modern standards, up to 32 people could be buried alongside the leader to escort him in the afterlife and make it less lonely.
However, the exact number of sacrificed humans is not yet known as excavations continue.
The treasure, which includes a buried gold shawl used to wrap around the body, gold belts, jewelry and plates, and earrings decorated with whale teeth with gold caps, has ‘incalculable’ value, Linette Montenegro from the Panamanian Ministry of Culture said.
Built in 750 AD, the tomb was crafted for the leader who ruled around that time, as well as the others who died to accompany him.
Just some of the astonishing treasure (Credit: Ciudad del Saber/Panama Culture Ministry)
Director of the excavations Dr Julia Mayo said the collection ‘could have belonged to an adult male of high status from the Rio Grande headquarters’.
The lord was buried upside down on the body of a female companion – a common way to send off the rich and powerful for their final journey.
Simultaneous burials in the ancient world involved the interment of ‘variable number of people (between 8 and 32) in a single grave of people of high status that were buried alongside others previously sacrificed to serve as companions’, Dr Mayo added.
The researchers also found four bracelets, two human figure earrings depicting a man and a woman, a crocodile earring, two bells, a skirt crafted with dog teeth, a set of bone flutes and ceramic artifacts.
The team of researchers by the 1,200-year-old final resting place (Credit: Ciudad del Saber)
Archaeologists have been digging up El Caño in the Natá district, Coclé province, since 2008.
The historically and culturally valuable tomb is a window into the lives of indigenous tribes in the area before the European invasion wreaked havoc in Central and South America.
Known as a necropolis or city of the dead, the burial compound with monoliths, a cemetery and a ceremonial area with wooden buildings was built around 700 AD before it was abandoned in 1000 AD.
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