La industria prehispánica de conchas marinas en Gran Coclé, Panamá. Análisis tecnológico de los artefactos de concha del basurero-taller del Sitio Cerro Juan Díaz, Los Santos, Panamá

Abstract

In America tools and beads of seashells are found frequently scattered in graves and ritual contexts and also in workshops. Studies of these workshops gives us details of the technic of manufacture used, inter-regional exchange, as well as other, like craft specialization. At Cerro Juan Díaz, Panama, a site that for several hundred years was occupied as a burial site and hamlet, a workshop of seashells, with Strombus galeatus, Spondylus spp, Anadara grandis flakes, preforms and beads are found, in addition to lithic flakes and bone. The study of these materials has allowed to evaluate the level of technical development of this industry in the final of the Middle Ceramic Period, which in our opinion is the key to estimate the presence or no of craft specialization. We believe that at this moment it was craft specialization in funtion of the high level of technical development present in this industry considering the number of beads, their rank of manufacture, and the raw material selection. In order to carry out our research it was necesary to develop an original method of analysis to obtain information about the technology applied in seashell material.