Earliest evidence of shamanic rituals in Central America nearly 5000 years ago found

Archaeologists have unearthed nearly 5,000-year-old shaman's stones in a rock shelter in Panama. The stone collection may be the earliest evidence of shamanic rituals in that region of Central America, researchers say.

The 12 stones were found in the Casita de Piedra rock shelter, in the Isthmus of Panama. The rocks, which carbon-dating of surrounding material showed to be between 4,000 and 4,800 years old, were clustered in a tight pile. That suggests they had been carried there, likely in a leather pouch that has long-since disintegrated, said study co-author, Ruth Dickau, an archaeologist at the University of Exeter, in an email.

"If our interpretation is correct, it constitutes the earliest material evidence in lower Central America of shamanistic practice," the authors wrote in the article.
---
The collection, which included translucent quartz, pyrite, magnetic rocks and bladed tools, was likely used in shamanic rituals because of how closely together they were packed, Dickau told LiveScience. Some of the rocks contained grains of iron called magnetite, and showed magnetic properties by deflecting a compass needle. In addition, the stone types themselves don't come from the rock shelter, but were historically used in shamanic rituals throughout the region.
---

Click to expand...

Jacie Estes said:

No surprise...thanks for the link.

Click to expand...

Nova said:

Maybe you didn't intend that message the way it reads to me, Jacie. Surely wfgodot is one of the most informative posters at WS, particularly in the "Up to Date" area! I know I've learned all sorts of things from him, but we can't expect that everything he links will be headline-making news to every reader.

That said, I admit I don't understand the historical significance implied by the article. It can't be news that there were people in Panama 5,000 years ago, so I assume the importance has something to do with the history of shamanistic practices.

Anybody know?

Click to expand...

Jacie Estes said:

The way I wrote it and the way it was read are diametrically opposed.

Perhaps "No surprise to me....thanks for the link". Better?

Click to expand...