EL LIMON, AN EARLY TOMB SITE IN COCLE 

 PROVINCE, PANAMA 



By Matthew W. and Marion Stirling ^ 



During the course of our archeological investigations in Panama 

 in the month of April 1951, Mr. Sime6n Conte of Penonome guided 

 us to an archeological site in the mountains back of Penonome near 

 a place called El Lim6n. 



The site consisted of a small burial ground with shoe-shaped shaft 

 tombs about 8 feet deep scattered for 100 yards along the top of a 

 high ridge. At the time of our arrival about nine tombs had been 

 opened; these apparently were all that the looters had been able to 

 find. Miguel Conte had acquired the contents of one of these tombs, 

 which he generously gave to us. The grave offerings consisted of 

 four tall slender vases and two globular pots with incised decorations. 



The four vases are similar in size and form (pi. 27). Each rests 

 on a relatively small flat base tapering upward to a slender waist, 

 then flaring outward to a wide trumpet-shaped rim. About two- 

 thirds of the way upward each vase is encircled by a raised beveled 

 ridge, the upper portion of which on three of the specimens is further 

 embellished with small coffee-bean-like appliqued nodules. The 

 natm'e of the incised decorations can best be seen in the illustrations. 



The natural color of the pottery is a pinkish buff, but a polished 

 brown slip had been applied, remnants of which remain on all four 

 examples. The tempering consists of crushed rock in which can be 

 seen some large fragments of clear quartz. 



The two pots are of the same ware (fig. 17). They are subgiobular 

 in form with round bottoms. The smaller pot has an outflaring rim, 

 and the other probably had a similar rim, but it has been entirely 

 broken off. The body of each pot is almost completely covered 

 with an incised herringbone design. The pattern on the smaller 

 pot is particularly interesting as it is produced by negative incising — 

 if such a term may be used. The incising was done with a broad 

 chisellike instrument, producing between the strokes narrow raised 

 ridges which form the design. 



' We are grateful to Mr. Edward O. Schumacher, artist for the Bureau of American Ethnology, for 

 the line drawings in this paper. 



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