Cerro Mangote: A Preceramic Site in Panama

Abstract

Until about 25 years ago nearly all that was known of the prehistory of Panama was the result of careful studies based on somewhat haphazard excavation (MacCurdy 1911; Holmes 1888). Almost without exception detailed and often gross provenience data were completely lacking. This unhappy situation was attacked in the late 1920s by Linné (1929). Beginning in the 1930's Lothrop succeeded in outlining and describing a number of culture areas covering most of Panama's Pacific watershed (Lothrop 1937, 1942, 1950). These areas of necessity reflected only the broad picture at the time of and immediately preceding the initial Spanish entradas for, although it was to be assumed that there was internal variation within each of these areas and considerable time depth for the country as a whole, no data on this were available.