192 A STUDY OF CHIRIQUIAN ANTIQUITIES. 



tradition that before the arrival of the Spaniards and even for a certain period 

 after that event, they worked in metal — gold, copper and their alloys. The 

 Guaymis of Valle Miranda still possess a number of ornaments in these alloys, 

 which they claim to have inherited from their ancestors — ornaments that differ in 

 no respect from those found in the huacals of Chiriqui. Pinart also believes that 

 the Guaymis still bury their dead in these ancient huacals. Gabb observed 

 similar gold ornaments in the possession of a Tiribi chief and one of his principal 

 warriors, but was not able to ascertain whether these highly prized images had 

 been taken from the ancient graves or handed down as heirlooms (see p. 16). 



Interest in the ancient burying-grounds of Chiriqui may be said to date from 

 1858, when rich discoveries of gold were made at Bugavita. While wandering 

 through the forests in the vicinity of his cabin, a native of Bugavita, in the district 

 of Boqueron, encountered a tree that had been uprooted by a recent tempest, 

 revealing a small earthen vessel. " Upon examination this proved to contain, 

 wrapped in a swathing of half-decayed cloth, divers images of curious and fantastic 

 shape, and of so yellow and shining a metal that he at once suspected them to 

 be of gold." L Authors differ as to the details of the discovery. Dr. Otis says it 

 occurred in June and that in less than a fortnight over a thousand people were 

 at work, having dug up 225 pounds weight of images, most of which proved to 

 be of the finest gold. According to the report of Dr. J. King Merritt, 2 who was 

 director of a gold mine in Veragua, it was in the autumn of 1858, while gathering 

 their crop of corn, that two Spanish Creole farmers, Ignacio Guerra and Victorio 

 Pitti, " accidentally discovered a golden image, which had been exposed by the 

 uprooting of a plant. They cautiously and secretly made farther search by sink- 

 ing a pit at this point, and were successful in obtaining more. With this en- 

 couragement they determined to explore the Huacal, the existence of which had 

 been well known for years. They proceeded in this work, not continuously, but 

 as circumstances would permit, until the first of May, 1859, when their concealed 

 operations became known to the inhabitants of the vicinity. The consequence 

 was that by the middle of May more than a thousand persons were engaged in 

 ransacking the graves of this Huacal." This cemetery covered an area of only 

 twelve acres. According to Thomas Francis Meagher, the discoverer of the golden 

 relics was Don Roberto Soes. 3 It is estimated by Dr. Merritt that the metallic 

 value of the images found at Bugavita alone amounted to $50,000. C. W. Liiders 4 

 estimated their value at nearly a million dollars. The largest gold figurine of 

 a high degree of purity found here is said to have weighed between eleven and 

 twelve ounces. Much of the pottery illustrated in this work came from Bugavita. 



The major part of these gold images from Bugavita is said to have been melted 

 at Panama for their bullion value. Of those that were brought to the United 

 States only a few found their way into museums ; the plaque and the vampire 



1 F. M. Otis, M. D., in Harper's weekly, Aug. 6th, 1859. 



2 Report on the huacals, or ancient graveyards of Chiriqui. Publ. by Amer. ethnol. soc. 

 previous to vol. I of its Bulletins. 



3 The new route through Chiriqui. Harper's mag., XXII, 198, 1861. 



4 Jahrbuch der Hamburgischen wiss. Anstalten, VI, 22, 1888. 



