Work

Insights into Late Ceramic Period lived experiences in Greater Coclé via human burials at Operation 5, Cerro Juan Díaz, Panamá

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: To enhance our understanding of everyday people during the Late Ceramic Period in Panama, burials from Operation 5 at the Cerro Juan Díaz site (1050–1400 CE) are assessed within a biocultural approach. Here, burials cut through and overlay a pre-existing house floor to place the majority of the deceased in uniform extended, supine positions. Grave goods were only found with children, following similar patterns of special adornment of child burials during the Middle Ceramic Period. Relatively high frequencies of non-specific physiological stress markers evidenced widespread inflammation and anaemia, perhaps relating to social and environmental factors affecting sanitation, infectious disease risk, and food availability. Artificial cranial modification and activity-related dental wear suggest that body modification may have been used to reinforce cultural boundaries and that children may have used their teeth as tools. These inferences deepen knowledge of human experiences during this time and provide a basis for future research.

Source: World Archaeology

DOI: 10.1080/00438243.2025.2599278

Authors: Nicole E. Smith-Guzmán, Benoit Desjardins, Veronica Pace

Institutions: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Centro de Investigaciones Históricas, Antropológicas y Culturales - AIP, Université de Montréal

Language: English

Topic: Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

Subfield: Archeology (arts and humanities)

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Smithsonian Institution, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Sistema Nacional de Investigación, Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación