Current Archaeological Research in Panamá Viejo, Panamá

In late 1995 the government and private entities formed a pioneer organisation in Panamanian culture resource management, to deal with Panamá’s most salient archaeological site, Panamá Viejo. This association, the Patronato Panamá Viejo, was thus commissioned with the investigation and preservation of this 28-hectare site in the centre of modern Panamá City, as well as with keeping the community informed on the progress of the research. It is formed by four partners, the Instituto Nacional de Cultura and the Instituto Nacional de Turismo from the government, and the Kiwanis Club and the Banco del Istmo from the private sector. For the first time, an exclusively Panamanian non-profit organisation would confront this task on a large scale, with a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, architects, and conservationists, with on-site facilities and laboratories aimed at an in depth study of Panamá’s historic and prehistoric past. This organisation is currently conducting extensive archaeological excavations on the site, protecting the stone monuments from further damage from natural and human elements, and trying to inform and educate the public on Panamá Viejo’s importance to the country’s historical and cultural heritage, and to develop it as a valuable tourist attraction