Preserve the El Cano Archaeological Park & museum

  On April 12, 2019, the newly renovated El Caño Archaeological Museum was inaugurated as a result of funding from the National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT), National Cultural Institute (INAC) and private donations. The Fundación El Caño team curated exhibits containing some of the artifacts recovered from the first six tombs they excavated at the necropolis. For the first two weeks, the exhibits included the original gold artifacts. However, due to security concerns, the gold artifacts had to be replaced by replicas created by Francis Galarza, Nicolás Caro and Panama Bay Jewelers. The remaining, non-gold, original artifacts continue to be on public display.

  On May 17, 2019, in collaboration with the Technological University of Panama, INAC, SENACYT, and Fundación El Caño, an educational visual display was added. This consists of a large interactive touch screen which visitors, especially children, can use to experience El Caño in a unique and fun way.

Fundación El Caño has also created an area where visitors can relax and enjoy a beverage or snack and purchase a souvenir of their visit.

  Fundación El Caño has partnered with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, on two projects. Students have begun working on creating a self-guided tour for non-Spanish speaking visitors to El Caño. A second group of students has begun a plant study to identify the plants currently in the park. The Fundación El Caño team can then compare the plants that are in the park against remnants and seeds found in the tombs to determine how the ecology has changed in the last 100 years.

  Work continues to raise funds to continue improvements and repairs in the park. The team has also begun to plan for excavations in the 2020 dry season. Sponsorships and funds for that endeavor are also needed.

Links:

• Official web page of Fundacion El Cano