An interdisciplinary approach to the collapse of the port and degradation of freshwater resources at Panama Viejo (Panama), 1519-1671

The Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo (Panama) comprises a protected area of 28 km2 within present-day Panama City, on America's Pacific coast. In 1519, the Spaniards founded the city of Panama Viejo to secure a natural port in an area inhabited by indigenous peoples since at least the eighth...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Martos Nieto, Miriam, Aram, Bethany, Malvárez, Gonzalo
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO)
Repositorio:RIO. Repositorio Institucional Olavide
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:rio.upo.es:10433/19959
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10433/19959
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Accretion
DSAS
Fresh water
Mangrove
Panama Viejo
Port
Descripción
Sumario:The Archaeological Site of Panama Viejo (Panama) comprises a protected area of 28 km2 within present-day Panama City, on America's Pacific coast. In 1519, the Spaniards founded the city of Panama Viejo to secure a natural port in an area inhabited by indigenous peoples since at least the eighth century CE. The site, along the coastline and between two rivers, became a principal gateway for goods and people travelling between Europe and Pacific settlements to the east (Realejo) and the west (Trujillo, Lima, Arica). Within one century, however, Panama Viejo's natural port and freshwater infrastructure collapsed, leading to the city's relocation after corsairs attacked it in 1671. This study combines archaeological, geographical and historical analyses to explain how and why human interactions with the local environment made the settlement increasingly untenable.