21.02.2026 13:11
A tomb belonging to a high-status individual, dating from AD 800 to 1000, was discovered at the El Cano archaeological site in Panama, buried with gold jewelry. The tomb contained gold objects and ceramics decorated with traditional motifs, as well as two bracelets, two earrings, and a breastplate featuring bat and crocodile figures.
A grave that has been buried for over a thousand years in Central America has created great excitement in the world of archaeology. Excavations in Panama have uncovered a remarkable burial site containing gold jewelry, ceramic artifacts, and human remains.
STRIKING FIND IN EL CANO
The discovery was made at the El Cano archaeological site located in the Nata region, approximately 200 kilometers southwest of Panama City. Numerous remains from pre-Columbian times had previously been uncovered in the area, where excavation work has been ongoing for about 20 years.
Excavation leader Archaeologist Julia Mayo stated that the grave dates back to between 800 and 1000 AD, saying, "We have never seen anything like this before." Mayo expressed that the discovery of skeletons surrounded by gold objects and ceramics adorned with traditional motifs indicates that the buried individuals held a high social status.
BURIED WITH GOLD JEWELRY
Experts believe that the individual buried with gold jewelry was one of the highest-ranking members of the community. It was reported that two bracelets, two earrings, and a breastplate featuring bat and crocodile figures were found alongside the skeleton. Additionally, hundreds of gold accessories were said to be present in the grave.
NINE MORE GRAVES IN THE SAME AREA
It is noted that El Cano is connected to communities that lived in the central regions of Panama between the 8th and 11th centuries. Julia Mayo reported that the site was used as a cemetery for approximately 200 years. It has also been recorded that nine more graves with similar characteristics have previously been uncovered in the same area.
The Panama Ministry of Culture has evaluated the discovery as a significant finding for the study of Panama's archaeology and pre-Columbian societies in the Central American isthmus.
According to experts, the excavations reveal that in these societies, death was not seen as an end but as a new stage in which social status continued. The elites buried with gold shed light on the social structure of the period, even after a thousand years.