Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions
Part of: Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)
This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.
Archaeologist Richard Cooke has left an indelible mark on the study of our shared human history. This symposium seeks to commemorate his groundbreaking work and celebrate his extraordinary contributions. The symposium will commence with an exploration of Cooke’s pioneering investigations that shed light on the history of Panama. His unwavering dedication to the past has enriched our knowledge of diverse indigenous cultures, revealing connections and interactions that span centuries. Attendees will share studies that exemplify how Cooke’s discoveries transformed the way we perceive past societies and their legacies in lower Central America and northern South America. Moreover, Cooke’s zooarchaeological innovations have redefined the practice of archaeology. From pioneering reference collections in Latin America and actualistic studies, his work has revolutionized the way we approach environmental archaeology. The final segment of the symposium will reflect on Cooke’s lasting impact on the broader archaeological community. Colleagues discuss how his ideas influenced their own research and how his mentorship shaped the careers of budding archaeologists in Latin America. In essence, this symposium is a testament to Richard Cooke’s remarkable contributions to archaeology. Participants will pay tribute to his enduring legacy, share knowledge inspired by his work, and reinforce their commitment to our past.
Other Keywords
Intermediate Area •
Zooarchaeology •
Survey •
Bioarchaeology/Skeletal Analysis •
Coastal and Island Archaeology •
Subsistence and Foodways •
Conservation and Curation •
History Of Archaeology •
Mobility •
Phytoliths
Geographic Keywords
Department of Martinique (Country) •
Republic of El Salvador (Country) •
Department of Guadeloupe (Country) •
Antigua and Barbuda (Country) •
Belize (Country) •
Anguilla (Country) •
Republic of Guatemala (Country) •
Republic of Honduras (Country) •
St. Lucia (Country) •
Montserrat (Country)
Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-16 of 16)
- Documents (16)
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Archaeological Sites and Flooding in the Diquís Delta, Southeastern Costa Rica (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The interaction between ancient societies and their natural environment was one of the topics discussed by Richard G. Cooke for southern Central America. We focus on the Diquis Delta, Costa Rica, an alluvial plain formed by the Térraba and Sierpe...
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Between Fishing and Rites of Passage at Death: Recent Developments from Excavations at Jicarita Island, Coiba, Panama (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. A recent focus on insular areas has expanded our knowledge on the abundance and diversity of insular, coastal, and pelagic habitats harvested from ca. 6200 BP. Inspired by Richard Cooke’s vision to explore the Coiba Archipelago, in 2023 the authors...
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Contributions of Richard G. Cooke, PhD, MBE, to the Study of Isthmo-Colombian Iconography (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Richard Cooke's pioneering studies in zooarchaeology of the Neotropics have redefined the way that archaeologists, art historians, ethnohistorians, and ethnographers utilize data from faunal remains, not only in the reconstruction of past environments,...
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Contributions of the Proyecto Santa Maria (PSM) to the Prehistory of Central Pacific Panama and Beyond (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The PSM was a multidisciplinary project in Central Pacific Panama with the major fieldwork carried out during the years 1981 through 1986. The goals of the proposed research were to identify the relationships between settlement types and subsistence...
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The Curation and Preservation of Archaeological Materials from Panama: Challenges and Opportunities (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama has become a key repository for archaeological materials collected within the country over the past 50 years. A number of these collections are also currently housed outside of the country at...
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Diet and Mobility in the Diverse Geographies of the Lower Central American Land Bridge (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Richard Cooke dedicated his career to the study of past human groups on the lower Central American land bridge (southern Nicaragua to northern Colombia) and their diversification in the tropical landscapes of the region. He has argued that the diverse...
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Ethnohistorical Approaches to Panamanian Archaeology: Toward an Enhanced Conversation (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. A significant, yet not fully recognized contribution of Richard Cooke’s to the understanding of Panamanian archaeology were his erudite analyses of contact time chronicles and documentation. Through systematic contrast and comparison of documents,...
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Exploring Biological Affiliations and Cultural Perspectives through Dental Morphology at Cerro Juan Díaz, Panamá: A Preliminary Study of the Early Burials (30–650 CE) (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Burial space reuse and prolonged interaction with the dead were common practices in the Isthmo-Colombian Area, dating back to at least the Early Ceramic period. However, it is unknown whether the individuals interred in disturbed, multiple burial...
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Following in El Maestro’s Footsteps: Historical Ecology and Panamanian Capacity Building in Darién (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. In 2012, Richard Cooke described the study of so-called Gran Darién as one of the most urgent concerns in Panamanian archaeology. Years later, that mandate resonated with us, and in 2019 we joined efforts beginning to fill in one of the greatest gaps in...
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The Indigenous Worldview of Water in the Isthmus of Panama (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. The rivers are natural limits to many cultures between the knowing and unknowing worlds. Also, they were the border between different territories and a fundamental element in establishing a settlement in a place or not. The names of the rivers are...
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Investigating Human Subsistence Strategies in Panamá during the Late Holocene (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Subsistence strategies and foodways were at the heart of Richard Cooke's and colleagues' pioneering work in Panamá. Early work found that shifting resource reliance (terrestrial and marine) had impacts on the evolution of these early peoples’ cultures...
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Long-Term White-Tailed Deer and Human Relationships in Parita Bay, Panama (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. A long history of human groups interacting with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) can be traced to Parita Bay in Panama. Archaeological evidence supports deer consumption since the Middle Holocene, and modern deer are continuously abundant on...
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Los peces de Salango y la mirada de Richard Cooke hacia Sudamérica (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. En 1989 el Smitnsonian Tropical Research Institute de Panamá, liderado por Ricard Cooke, organizó un curso de formación en estudios neotropicales para arqueólogos del américa latina, participamos profesionales de Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panamá,...
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Panama Archaeology’s Paradigm Shift: A History of Cerro Juan Díaz, Its Excavations, and Ongoing Research (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. In the late 1980s, the Panama authorities became aware of extensive looting outside the modern city of La Villa de Los Santos. By the time archaeologists had been called to investigate, the area around the hill known locally as Cerro Juan Díaz resembled...
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Richard Cooke: Archaeologist, Colleague, and Friend Extraordinaire (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. This paper discusses Richard Cooke’s career in the context of my professional and personal relationships with him. Over a more than 40-year period beginning with my first trip to Panama in 1979 as a graduate student I enjoyed the benefits of his...
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Trajectories of Zooarchaeological Research across Central America: The Influences and Interests of Richard Cooke (2024)
DOCUMENT Citation Only
This is an abstract from the "Unraveling the Mysteries of the Isthmo-Colombian Area’s Past: A Symposium in Honor of Archaeologist Richard Cooke and His Contributions" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. Archaeological research in Central America is often seen as quite disparate between the northern regions of Mesoamerica (primarily Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and northwestern portions of Honduras and El Salvador) and the more southerly Intermediate Area...