PREFACE 



The archeological investigations on Taboga, Uraba, and Taboguilla 

 Islands were conducted in March and April of 1953 as part of the 

 archeological program in Panama under the auspices of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution and the National Geographic Society. 



Accompanying the expedition as photographer, and assisting gen- 

 erally in the work throughout the entire sequence of expeditions to 

 Panama, was Richard H. Stewart, assistant chief of the Photographic 

 Laboratory of the National Geographic Society. 



We are indebted to a number of friends both in the Republic of 

 Panama and the Canal Zone for making our work easier and more 

 efficient. Mr. Karl Curtis, longtime resident of the Canal Zone, gave 

 unstintingly of his time and knowledge of Panamanian archeological 

 sites. Mr. and Mrs. Paul A. Bentz kindly allowed us to use the large 

 basement of their home in Balboa for the storage of our specimens 

 and as a work laboratory. Above all, we are obligated to Dr. Alejandro 

 Mendez, director of the Aluseo Nacional de Panama, for his cordial 

 cooperation and assistance during all of our archeological investiga- 

 tions in Panama. Others, too numerous to mention, gave us assist- 

 ance in many ways and contributed to making our stay in Panama a 

 very pleasant one. 



We are grateful to Mr. Edward G. Schumacher, artist for the 

 Bureau of American Ethnologj'', for the line drawings in this report. 



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