The Golden Armor of a Coclé Chief: The Gold Pectorals from Tomb 2 at the Necropolis of El Caño (AD 900-1020)
Abstract
The recent discovery and excavation (2009) of a funerary complex at the site of El Caño in the Gran-Cocle region of Panama has shed new light on isthmian archaeology. In this article we present a descriptive analysis and iconographic interpretation of the four gold pectorals present in the tomb of one of the chiefs who, judging by their ritual burial and richness of their burial goods is the highest status individual excavated at the site. The embossed designs on these four pectorals, which belong to the Conte Style (AD 450-1100) of metalwork, represent front-facing supernatural beings whose principal metaphorical basis appears to be the crocodile. These representations speak to a shared belief system in the region that is rooted in the wider pre-Columbian cosmological traditions.
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