Seeking Isla Palenques's Deeper Meaning

Summary

Although Isla Palenque is an important Panamanian archaeological site that has been investigated several times from the 1960s through the 80s, there remain important questions associated with the human occupation of the settlement. Current changes in Panama’s tourism growth make this emergent study important, because while this site has remained relatively "unchanged" for decades, current construction projects are beginning to limit study of the island that has been notoriously difficult to investigate due to ecological, political, and historical factors. Original studies established culture chronologies and regional comparisons related to "adaptive radiations" of early settlers, but the broad focus and older methodology invite an update to help advance theory aided with newer technological methods: Initial interpretations labeling the island an important "ceremonial center" highlight its significance, but shed little light on deeper explanations of the function of the Island over time, or reasons for its initial occupation. My current investigation looks to expand outside the original centralized excavations by broadening the study area to a community settlement survey of the entire island. I aim to present current data that elucidates the social organization of the island enabling a deeper understanding of relations associated with trade and exchange in southern Central America.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Caminos perdidos y vías olvidadas: Trade Routes and Exchange Networks in Late Pre-Hispanic Central America   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage