Item PL23
This Item was Sold on 24 April
2022 for $60
Similar artifacts for sale are often found on the Lithic
Artifacts web page.
Historical Pricing information for this item and similar artifacts
can be found at: Historical Artifact
Prices.
This item is a lot of 5 Pre-Columbian Neolithic stone
tools (stone axes or celts) found in Central Panama. All of
these were made from Basalt or a si,ilar hard stone and they
are in very nice condition with only a few minor faults,
such as edge chips, etc. The white celt is especially nice.
I have never seen this material near Gatun. Celt #4 in the
list below has a truncated end. This could be an unintended
fracture, but it fits well in the hand with the index finger
on the flat surface opposite the cutting blade. All were
found on the South East shore of a large island in Gatun
Lake near the south end of the Gatun Locks. Zonians called
this island "Navy Island", but the official name is Guarapo
Island. Before the Panama Canal was constructed, this island
was a tall hill on the banks of the Chagres River. All of
these artifacts are surface finds. As a teen living in the
town of Gatun, I visited Navy Island often to fish and camp.
The wave action from the ships leaving Gatun Locks would
wash against the steep hillside and erode the red clay soil
to expose lithic artifacts. I collected these between 1966
and 1968. All of these artifacts were collected in the
American Canal Zone prior to when the territory was ceded
back to Panama in 1999. The approximate dimensions and
weights are as follows: Celt #2: Length = 55 mm ; Width = 55 mm ; Thickness = 25
mm ; Weight = 129 gm Celt #3: Length = 70 mm ; Width = 45 mm ; Thickness = 25
mm ; Weight = 98 gm Celt #4: Length = 65 mm ; Width = 32 mm ; Thickness = 17
mm ; Weight = 105 gm Celt #5: Length = 73 mm ; Width = 29 mm ; Thickness = 18
mm ; Weight = 53 gm