Prehistory of Native Americans on the Central American Land Bridge: Colonization, Dispersal, and Divergence

Abstract

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Taphonomy at two contiguous coastal rockshelters in Panama: Preliminary observations focusing on fishing and curing fish

“…We now propose that all bone and shell formerly identified in D4 is intrusive. Therefore, contrary to earlier reports Ranere, 1984, 1992 a-c), we can no longer argue on the basis of the Vampiros shelter data that coastal resources were exploited in Pacific Panama during the Paleoindian and Early Preceramic periods (i.e, 11,500-7000 BP) Cooke, 2005). (Of course, coastal sites belonging to this period may be submerged).…”

“…Subsequent research has shown that the early coastal sites of Parita Bay were in fact coeval with and culturally related to many other small settlements dispersed across both watersheds of central Panama (Cooke, 2005;Cooke and Ranere, 1992a,b,c;Griggs, 2005). Multi-proxy analyses of lake sediments at La Yeguada (see Figure 1b) show that people were felling and burning forests in the Pacific foothills and plains at this time (summarized in Piperno and Pearsall, 1998: 175-179).…”

“…It has not yet been established whether the Parita Bay coastal sites were occupied seasonally by people who lived inland at other times of the year (i.e., during the planting season) or year-round by groups who exchanged coastal resources with communities located in other ecosystems and habitats (Cooke, 2005). Nonetheless it is clear that their inhabitants were not just strandloopers who subsisted mainly on marine mollusks (Willey, 1971).…”

“…Nonetheless it is clear that their inhabitants were not just strandloopers who subsisted mainly on marine mollusks (Willey, 1971). They participated in a regional economy exchanging non-perishable and perishable goods obtained in many different terrestrial and coastal habitats (Cooke, 2005;Cooke and Ranere 1992c;Griggs, 2005). One important perishable commodity was fish.…”

The cultural nature of tephra: ‘Problematic’ ecofacts and artifacts and the Barú volcano, Panamá

“…and squash (Cucurbita) -were being widely planted in Panama by the Late Preceramic period of 7000e4500 BP (Piperno et al, 2000a(Piperno et al, , 2000bDickau et al, 2007). The use of fire and clearance of vegetation for agriculture related to permanent settlements is evident in highland western Panama, near the Barú volcano, after~2860 BP (Behling, 2000;Cooke, 2005).…”