The Veraguas culture, also known as the Chiriqui culture, was a

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...

Panamian

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

. It is noted for the quality of its goldwork.

Art

The Veraguas culture cast zoomorphic pendants out of

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

and

tumbaga ''Tumbaga'' is the name for a non-specific alloy of gold and copper given by Spanish Conquistadors to metals composed of these elements found in widespread use in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica in North America and South America. The term is believe ...

, using the lost wax method. When using tumbaga, artists would often use acid to remove copper from the surface, allowing for a shinier piece. This process is known as

depletion gilding Depletion gilding is a method for producing a layer of nearly pure gold on an object made of gold alloy by removing the other metals from its surface. It is sometimes referred to as a "surface enrichment" process. Process Most gilding methods are a ...

. This goldwork was practiced until the early 16th century CE. Crotal bell Panama gold Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Veraguas culture also produced painted tripod bowls and anthropomorphic figures. In addition, sculptures were made out of

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

Sites

El Cangrejal

El Cangrejal is located on the Pacific coast of Panama. Several earthen mounds as well as many potsherds were found at this site.

Villalba

Villalba is located on a long, thin island of the Pacific coast. Basalt pillars as well as a sculpture of an armadillo have been found.

Society

Little is known about Veraguas society. It is known that the Veraguas elite were buried with the aforementioned gold and tumbaga pendants. Deities were represented in goldwork, and appeared as anthropomorphized animals such as jaguars.

References

{{reflist Mesoamerican cultures