Archaeologists in Panama find an ancient man’s tomb full of gold treasures and sacrifices that is about 1,200 years old

• Up to 31 companion victims were discovered at the site
• Archaeologists found gold beaded belts and gold-set earrings
• The buried lord was buried face down on the body of a slain female companion

The tomb of an important ancient ruler has been discovered at an archaeological site in Panama.

Inside the approximately 1,200-year-old tomb, archaeologists discovered a magnificent collection of gold treasures: belts made of gold beads, gold-set earrings with whale teeth and a series of circular gold plates.

But the tomb of the Colcé chief (750-800 AD), who was between 30 and 40 years old at the time of his death, contained something darker – the bodies of victims intended to accompany their master into the afterlife. ‘

Up to 31 other people were buried with the ancient ruler, but the actual number is unknown as the excavation of the tomb at El Caño Archaeological Park is still ongoing.

The powerful lord was buried in a posture that was common in this elaborate form of burial.

According to a statement from Panama’s Ministry of Culture, the high-ranking man was buried “face down.”

And he was buried on “a woman’s body.”

For researchers, the wealth of the find lay not in the gold loot, but in the type of burial.

Archaeologists refer to collective burials like this as multiple and simultaneous burials.

“We call them that because they consist of burials of varying numbers of people (between eight and 32 people),” said Dr. Julia Mayo, the director of the excavation, told Panama’s Ministry of Culture.

These people were sacrificed before burial so that they could accompany their master into the afterlife.

Sitio El Caño, where the tomb was discovered, served as a necropolis (a city for the dead) from 700 AD to 1000 AD before it was abandoned for unknown reasons. It once contained monoliths, a cemetery and a ceremonial room.

The tomb was built around 750 AD and excavators also unearthed ceramic artifacts and jewelry.

They found five pectorals, four bracelets, two earrings in the shape of human figures (a man and a woman), an earring in the shape of a double crocodile, bells, plaques and a necklace.

There were also bracelets and skirts made from dog teeth, as well as a number of bone flutes.

The Ministry of Culture recognized the find not only as “economic value”, but also as “incalculable historical value”.