Descripción del Objeto Digital (OD) :
Approach to the Study of the Phenomenon of Multiple Burials at El Caño, Panama
Journal: Latin American Antiquity
Authors:
Julia Mayo Torné (1,3), Carlos Mayo Torné (1,2), Mercedes Guinea Bueno (3), Miguel A. Hervás Herrera (1), Jesús Herrerín López(4).
(1) Centro de Investigaciones Arqueológicas del Istmo – Fundación El Caño; (2) Universidad de Santiago de Compostela; (3) Universidad Complutense de Madrid; (4) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid;
Published online by Cambridge University Press. 12 February 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/laq.2019.99
Abstract
In this article we present a study that seeks to explain the nature of, and the mortuary practices behind, the burials containing multiple individuals at the site of El Caño, Panama (part of the “Gran Coclé” archaeological tradition, ca. AD 700–1000). We set out to test our first impression of these burials as products of sumptuous funerals held upon the death of the rulers that included, among other practices, human sacrifice. With this in mind, our research aims to elucidate the status relationships between individuals, the circumstances of their deaths, and the religious and symbolic significance of their burials. The results reveal the presence of an individual of higher status within every tomb, the existence of a pattern with respect to the status of those who accompany that individual, the practice of mortuary treatments typical of sacrificial contexts, toxic substance...