A newly excavated tomb in central Panama has revealed a wealth of riches and signs of human sacrifice.
It is reported ZME ScienceIn Chamber 3 of the Elcano Archaeological Park, scientists working in the 1,000-year-old chamber discovered a cache of gold as well as the remains of a centrally buried figure, surrounded by other people who might have been sacrificed. “In addition to the remains, Tomb Raider 3 is also wrapped in a large amount of gold, including a huge gold chest piece, gold earrings, and intricate gold jewelry depicting crocodile teeth and bat wings,” according to the introduction ZME.
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The site, 120 miles southwest of Panama City, is the burial ground of the Gran Cocle culture, which thrived through a “highly structured society governed by a powerful elite who commanded vast resources.”
Every ZME”, “By the 8th century, Gran Cocle had established a centralized political structure. Their leaders controlled trade, orchestrated large rituals, and wielded enough power to claim their status to follow them into the afterlife. Today, archaeologists often refer to the Elcano site as Panama’s Valley of the Kings. “
According to a press release from Panama’s Ministry of Culture, “The site of Elcano is a necropolis (necropolis or city of the dead) that was built around 700 AD and abandoned around 1000 AD. In addition to its famous megaliths, the site contains a cemetery and a ceremonial area with wooden buildings.” The tomb itself was built in 750 “is the tomb of a great lord and the others who accompanied him into the ‘afterlife,'” said Julia Mayo, director of the Elcano Foundation.
