This golden plaque was possibly worn as a breastplate by a pre-Columbian chief of Central America. Not much is known about the society that created this plaque, which was discovered at a necropolis at Sitio Conte, an archaeological site located in the Coclé province of Panama, near Parita Bay. The graves contained numerous individuals—whom scholars have postulated are either chiefs, warriors, or members of chiefly families—and many exquisitely crafted grave goods. The grave goods date the burial ground’s use between 450 and 900 C.E. Measuring almost 9 inches in diameter and made of gold, the plaque dates to 700–900 […]
