The antiquarian literature of the province is extremely meager, being
confined to brief sketches made by transient visitors or based for the
most part upon the testimony of gold hunters and government explorers,
who took but little note of the unpretentious relics of past ages. As
there are few striking monuments, the attention of archæologists was not
called to the history of primeval man in this region, and until recently
the isthmus was supposed to have remained practically unoccupied by that
group of cultured nations whose works in Peru and in Mexico excite the
wonder of the world. But, little by little, it has been discovered that
at some period of the past the province was thickly populated, and by
races possessed of no mean culture.
The most important contributions to the literature of this region, so
far as they have come to my knowledge, are the following: A paper by Mr.
Merritt, published by the American Ethnological Society;[2] a paper by
Bollaert, published by the same society, and also a volume issued in
London;[3] a valuable pamphlet, with photographic illustrations, by
M. De Zeltner, French consul to Panama in 1860;[4] a short paper by
Mr. A. L. Pinart, published in the Bulletin de la Société de Géographie
(Paris, 1885, p. 433), in which he gives valuable information in regard
to the peoples, ancient and modern; and casual notes by a number of
other writers, some of which will be referred to in the following pages.
A pretty full list of authorities is given by Mr. H. H. Bancroft in his
Native Races, Vol. V, p. 16.
One of the most important additions to our knowledge of the province and
its archæologic treasures is furnished in the manuscript notes of Mr.
J. A. McNiel, who made the greater part of the collection now deposited
in the National Museum. This explorer has personally supervised the
examination of many thousands of graves and has forwarded the bulk of
his collections to the United States. His explorations have occupied a
number of years, during which time he has undergone much privation and
displayed great enthusiasm in pursuing the rather thorny pathways of
scientific research. In the preparation of this paper his notes have
been used as freely as their rather disconnected character warranted,
and since Mr. McNiel's return to the United States, in July, 1886,
I have been favored with a series of interviews with him, and by this
means much important information has been obtained.
[Footnote 2: J. King Merritt: "Report on the huacals or ancient
graveyards of Chiriqui." Bulletin of the American Ethnological
Society, 1860.]
[Footnote 3: Bollaert: Antiquarian Researches in New Granada.
London, 1860.]
[Footnote 4: A. De Zeltner: Notes sur les sépultures indiennes
de département de Chiriqui.]