The Coolidge examiner., 1934-07-27

And ignorant natives were polling
their way IN canoe up the RIO
Grande dc Cocie. a large river in
western Panama about - miles
south Of the Panama canal The dry
season mad lowered the river As
the small craft made It's way up
stream. the keen eyes of one % the
natives notei something glltierins iu
the bank
In a few minutes greedy hands
were tearing az the soil ~ they had
found pieces of gold The fact that
the gold articles were objects ~ art
beaten into curious and beautiful
shapes By hands long dead. did not
Interest the natives But - DID IN.
tcrest scientists. when Word % the
Ind came 20 the Peabody museum
of Harvard university. q party ot
arrhcolo-ls;s went down 90 iuvesil
gate. The scientists worked 10 50
crei for three years. and have COW
returned with store % gold ob
iecis worth q kings ransom. In The
opinion ot pr $. X. lothrop. leader
of the expedition. they represent the
art % n civilization 30 Panama that
has hitherto been unknown @ sci
cnce.
The chance which brought scien-
lists 20 the spot was due % a shift
In the bed % The lilo de Cocle. Ia
changing SIS course the stream cut
through an ancient burying place.
The gold ornaments which excited
the Interest o. the natives were part
81 the funeral dress % some long
forsnitcn chieftnin. buried not only
glth bis richest possessions % metal
and pottery. but surrounded also by
his wives. reIalners. servants and
slaves.
The abundance of similar Gnds
made by the Peabody museum party
In It's thrce-y year sojourn IN Panama
was almost without precedent De
scrihlng the results of the expedition
recently 10 the New York Times
Magazine. Doctor tothrop reported
that from one grave alone. measur
ing no more than l. by u feet. more
than 200 objects were removed
The grave contained a score of
bodies. laid out in rows upon massive
stone slabs. Piled over and around
the bones were % different objects
Of gold. Including four heavy pend
ants. set with semi precious stones.
six gold necklaces containing thou
sands of beads. four large and heay
lly embossed golden discs. twenty
eight discs about inches vide which
bad once been sewn on a shirt. fouf
pairs Of gold cuffs and tweniy.four
rods of gold with decorated tips. Tor
insertion In the ears
There were 49, pottery vessels
both FOR domestic service and for re-
llglous offerings. There were 81
stone axes and chisels. Eve gold CHS.
els. u stone knives. 100 stone arrow
points. nine mirrors OF hematlie set
In limestone discs. pendants and
beads Of agate. staiuettes carved
from the ribs of the manatee or sea
COW. some Of them oycrlaid with
gold: wild boars' tusks set In gold.
sting splnes and saw-fsh teeth
used as spear points. sharks tooth
necklaces. crystals. gllded copper or
naments and many other objects
"Snch a list gives but a pale pic
ture Of the reality said Doctor
Loihrop. Gold does not tarnlsh In
the earth and IL appeared cleaning
In the sun as our knives and brushes
removed the accumulated layers OF
dirt Intricate designs beaten In high
relief met the eye; huge breastplaies
embossed with NEUROLOGICAL mon.
sters: gold cuffs running In sheets
from wrist 10 elbow. each pair
stamped with a distinctive design
or property mark corresponding to
our coat OF armsl +: complex castings
of strange anthropomorphlc gods
fashioned In molds over delicate
models in wax.
The richness. variety and fine
workmanship OF these possessions
Indicate that well-es' abllshed.
wealthy and highly organized culture
produced them. Doctor Ioihrop and
his associates believe, from "A study
OF the relics. that the Panama peo
Piles were unrelated In culture either
10 their neIghbors the Mayas and
Aztecs 10 the northwest. or the Incas
to the south. In short. the discovery
OF these graves has brought to light
remains OF a hitherto unknown Amer
lean civilization, as great and lrnpor-
tant In its way. perhaps. as any OF
the others
Who were these people? Histories
relate that n party OF Spanlards In
search Of gold left the coast OF Pan
ANA In 1915. Moving inland. they