Gold Bat Pectoral from the El Caño Archaeological Site, 800 – 1000 AD [5000×4827]

A new tomb has been discovered at the El Caño Archaeological Site (Panama) abundantly furnished with offerings of ceramics and gold. The tomb dates between 800 and 1000 AD. 

The existence of Tomb 3 was first identified in 2009 when an survey detected a large number of ceramic and metal fragments. It wasn’t excavated until this year, however, and is now revealing its full structure and rich furnishings. It contains numerous funerary offerings of fine ceramics and decorated gold ornaments including earrings, bracelets and large pectorals decorated with bats and crocodiles which were typical motifs in the art and iconography of El Caño.