Ladd] PARITA AND SANTA MARIA ARCHEOLOGY, PANAMA 221 



CHRONOLOGICAL SUMMARY OF THE COCLE REGION 



SANTA MARIA PHASE 



In summarizing the chronology of the five sites treated in detail 

 in this report and consolidating it with the previously existing sequence 

 for the region, it seems most useful to arrange the material in terms 

 of phases beginning with the earliest recognized among the sites; the 

 Santa Maria Phase (see chart 2, p. 19, for chronology). 



Like all of those which follow, this phase is based primarily on its 

 pottery content and, in this case, especially on the ceramic stratig- 

 raphy of the Giron site. At this site, the Giron and Escot^ types, 

 along with a gamut of plastic decorative techniques, were found 

 concentrated in the middle and bottom layers of what was an essen- 

 tially three-layered Pit L Code and Azuero sherds representing later 

 phases were restricted to the upper levels ; Red Daubed variety sherds 

 maintained a fairly steady but low percentage in all three layers. 

 This pattern was reinforced in Pit 3 at the same site, but is not as 

 clear at other sites. The Aristide group was present at Sitio Conte, 

 but there its polychromes were only gradually replaced by Cocl^ 

 polychromes. At Venado Beach both the Giron and Escotd types 

 appear along with Early Code styles. The phase is represented 

 at He-1 by both Giron and Escotd types, but the latter is present 

 in very small quantity. At He-2 only the Giron type is present, 

 again associated with Early Code styles. Thus the Santa Maria 

 Phase, as distinct from the following Early Code Phase, is firmly 

 located at only two sites: the Giron site and Sitio Conte. 



Little is known about the phase aside from its ceramics. The 

 sites are inland, and agriculture along with some shell fishing is as- 

 sumed as the subsistence base. Although burials were subsequently 

 excavated at the Giron site by McGimsey (McGimsey, 1959), they 

 were without cultural associations, and Santa Maria graves have not 

 been excavated with the possible exception of Venado Beach. Abso- 

 lute dates for the phase are unknown, 



EARLY COCLE PHASE 



Following immediately on the Santa Maria Phase, the Early 

 Code Phase (corresponding to Lothrop's Early Cocl^ Period at 

 Sitio Conte) is represented at that site, at He-1, He-2, Co-2, and 

 Venado Beach and by a few sherds at He-4. Associated with the 

 Early Code polychromes at Sitio Conte were various Smoked ware 

 shapes and Red Line, Red Daubed variety vessels. This association, 

 in general terms, is repeated at He-1 where varieties were tentatively 

 distinguished in both Red Line and Smoked ware types, and is 

 supported by the grave associations at He-2. Specifically, the 



