ARCHEOLOGICAL NOTES ON ALMIRANTE BAY 

 BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA 



By Matthew W. and Marion Stirling 



INTRODUCTION 



Since there appears to be no information on the archeology of the 

 Almirante Bay-Chiriqui Lagoon region, we, together with Richard H, 

 Stewart, took occasion to visit briefly Almirante Bay during the month 

 of April 1953 as an extension of our work for the National Geographic 

 Society-Smithsonian Institution on the north coast of Panama the 

 preceding winter. 



During 10 days of rather intensive activity, we visited aU of the 

 principal islands and a considerable portion of the mainland coast of 

 Almirante Bay. Systematic questioning of natives elicited very little 

 information as to archeological sites. Most informants denied having 

 seen or heard of evidences of aboriginal occupation in the area. In- 

 deed, on completion of our survey we concluded that archeological 

 sites in the vicinity are neither numerous nor conspicuous. However, 

 we did locate three sites worthy of excavation, and we photographed 

 several carved stone objects found in the region. 



In the relatively level area north of Almirante, which has been 

 extensively cleared for banana plantations, nothing appears to have 

 come to light. In the remainder of the district the search for sites is 

 hampered by the heavy growth of tropical jungle which covers most of 

 the ground. 



The Almirante Bay-Chiriqui Lagoon region apparently followed the 

 pattern of the rest of the north coast of Panama in that permanent 

 settlements were established toward the headwaters of the rivers and 

 not along the coast. 



The immediate incentive for our visit to Almirante was an invita- 

 tion from Dr. Gustav Engler, director of the Chiriqui Land Company 

 Hospital at that place. Dr. Engler has long been interested in the 

 antiquities of Central America and has a small collection of artifacts 

 from Costa Rica and Panama. 



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