Conditions of life and death at Panama Viejo: a bioarchaeological study of human skeletal remains (1519-1671)

Abstract

Panama, founded in 1519, became one of the most important sites for the Spanish Crown, consolidating itself as an economic center that connected the trade routes between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. This situation produced a convergence of people of different origins (indigenous, African, and European) in the city, generating a strong process of biological as well as social and cultural mixture, which impacted daily life during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These processes were addressed by the research project: An ARTery of Empire (ARTEmpire) (European Research Council, Consolidator of Grant [CoG] 648535), which included archaeological excavations at the two sites occupied by Panama's main temple: one to the south-east of the Main Square (1519-1541) and the other where the cathedral was installed from 1542 until the city’s destruction in 1671. This article presents the results of the bioarchaeological study of 175 individuals recovered during the aforementioned archaeological excavations, reconstructing their living conditions. The sample consists mostly of female (55.43%) and young adult individuals (52.57%), highlighting the absence of older adults and the underrepresentation of children and juveniles. The preservation of the sample limited observations of population affiliation, but individuals with traits predominant in African (23.43%), European (21.71%), and Amerindian (9.71%) populations were identified. Paleopathological analysis shows mostly lesions associated with infectious diseases, entheseal changes, porotic hyperostosis, degenerative joint disease, and trauma. In addition, the teeth reveal masticatory wear, calculus, decay, periodontal disease, and chipping. However, an initial observation of the sample indicates no significant differences that show that one sector of the population may have been more affected than another. This is interesting since individuals from diverse origins converged at Old Panama, responding to the process of globalization at this port.