Panama (AFP) – A tomb more than a thousand years old containing human remains and gold and ceramic objects was discovered in a region of Panama that has been excavated for two decades, the researcher in charge of the project announced to AFP on Friday.

Published on: 02/21/2026 - 02:17

The discovery took place in El Caño, in the Natá district, about 200 kilometers southwest of the capital Panama, where scientists and archaeologists have already discovered other remains of pre-Hispanic cultures.

The skeletal remains are surrounded by gold objects and pottery decorated with traditional motifs, which indicates that they were people of "high status", archaeologist Julia Mayo told AFP, specifying that the tomb had been built "between 800 and 1000 AD."

“The individual with the gold is the one who had the highest social status in the group,” she added.

The body of this main occupant was decorated with "two bracelets, two pectorals and two earrings, the pectoral jewelry comprising representations of bats and crocodiles", described Ms. Mayo.

The archaeological site of El Caño is linked to the societies that inhabited the central provinces of Panama between the 8th and 11th centuries.

“This is where they buried their dead for 200 years,” said the researcher.

Ms Mayo said nine other graves "similar" to the one announced on Friday have already been excavated at the site.

This discovery is "of great importance for Panamanian archeology and the study of pre-Hispanic societies of the Central American isthmus", underlined the Ministry of Culture in a press release.

According to experts, these excavations demonstrate that for these societies, death did not represent an end, but a transition to another phase where social status remained important.

The discovery will provide new information on social organization, political power, exchange networks and even ritual practices, added the ministry.

© 2026 AFP

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