Cobre Panama has been contributing to the knowledge of the archaeological heritage of our country for more than 10 years.

– Today marks International Archaeology Day
– Cobre Panama’s archaeological research has revealed more than 700 finds
– Cobre Panama’s heritage education program has reached more than 10,000 people

Panama, July 11, 2023 – Cobre Panama today highlights the importance of archaeological work in our country as part of International Archaeology Day.

More than ten years of rigorous and uninterrupted archaeological research carried out by the team of specialists of the Cobre Panama project have revealed more than 700 archaeological contexts that provide evidence of human occupation in this region during the pre-Hispanic period, that is, before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century. In addition, studies have shown that the Central Caribbean region of Panama, where the project is being developed, was inhabited more than 2,300 years ago. Before Cobre Panama, this region had been little studied from the archaeological point of view, so the contributions on the culture of these human groups are of great importance for the history of this region and in general, of our country.

During these investigations, multiple artifacts have been recovered that provide information about the way of life of the ancient populations of the Donoso region. Among the material culture recovered by the archaeologists are: ceramic vessels such as pots, bowls and plates used for food preparation and storage; lithic tools (stone), some polished such as metates and grinding hands used for grinding grains and vegetables. There are also abundant carved tools such as axes, points and flakes, which were used for activities such as hunting, cutting meat and hides, cutting forests for domestic use and soil agriculture, among other functions.

The Archaeological Monitoring and Rescue Plan carried out by Cobre Panama is part of the commitments adopted by the company, in compliance with the mitigation measures of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This plan includes the implementation of scientific techniques for site identification, recovery of remains in the excavation and monitoring phases, as well as laboratory analysis of artifacts and organic materials to obtain dates and data on their diet.

Cobre Panama works hand in hand with the directorates of the Ministry of Culture. The results of these investigations are regularly delivered to the National Directorate of Cultural Heritage. In addition, the conservation and exhibition of the findings has been coordinated with the Directorate of Museums. Thanks to these alliances, the Museum of Penonomé has the exhibition “Ancestral Donoso and La Pintada”, which exhibits pre-Hispanic artifacts from the Panamanian Central Caribbean, which show that the region was inhabited by agricultural societies, linked to the Pacific cultures.

Panamanian archaeologist Carlos Gómez, director of the Cobre Panama Archaeological Project, emphasized: “On this International Archaeology Day we reiterate our commitment to continue with our archaeological research, which began more than 10 years ago and has so far provided relevant knowledge about the ancient inhabitants of the Central Caribbean region. Likewise, we will continue to develop our different programs in terms of dissemination and education in schools and universities to benefit the communities and the construction of the country’s identity”.

The mining company has a heritage dissemination program called “Proyecto Arqueológico Cobre Panamá llega a tu escuela”, coordinated by the Ministry of Education (MEDUCA) together with the Regional Directorate of Coclé.

The main objective of this program is to disseminate the results of the archaeological research carried out for more than 10 years within the framework of the Cobre Panama project and to raise awareness in the academic community about the importance of heritage protection.

To date, more than 10,000 teachers, students, specialists and the general public have received heritage education directly from Cobre Panama archaeologists. In 2022 alone, 24 workshops were organized with the participation of parents, tour guides, teachers and students from 18 schools located in Penonmé, La Pintada, Omar Torrijos, Antón, Natá and Coclesito, as well as students from 5 universities: Universidad de Los Llanos del Pacífico, Universidad Latina (Penonomé campus), Centro Regional Universitario de Coclé, Universidad de Panamá and UDELAS.