Many years ago, a couple was walking through a farm and found a rock carved in a cylindrical shape that allowed us to see the vestiges of what was an ancient culture. A society that lived between the years 300 and 600 after Christ and that was completely buried during the eruption of the Baru Volcano. After the geological event, the years passed and the area returned to be populated with vegetation, hiding this culture for centuries.
Discovery of an Organized Society
This historic site, located within a 60 hectare private estate, six kilometers from the community of Volcan in Chiriqui Province, is full of mystery and surprising little-known discoveries.
Metals were found at this site, a statue of a cacique carried by peasants, huacas, ceramics in high and low relief, petroglyphs in which a map showing the Baru Volcano and another volcano stands out. There are also urns with human ashes, indicating that this entombed culture cremated their dead, together but in different urns.
Being a sector with very acid soil, it was not possible to find human bones of the people who died during the eruption of the Baru Volcano. However, it is known that they were originally from Asia and Africa.
Archeological Museum
The name of this site is due to the fact that in 1947 carved rocks that looked like barrels were found. However, today it has a fairly small museum where you can appreciate the findings made more than 70 years ago.
Here you can find crafts from different cultures, including the Maya. It is believed that this ancestral group arrived to conquest and that is why everything that existed before was destroyed.
It is also possible to observe carved stones in the shape of spheres, ceramics, funerary urns, food urns, utensils, metate spear tips for crushing food, as well as modern plastic containers, the latter are not at all related to the barrel culture, something that brings more mystery to this site.
The family that owns this farm where Sitio Barriles is located created a Barriles Culture Foundation to financially preserve the site, and offer tours of the site to teach not only the history and discoveries, but also to learn about the great variety of plants in the sector and show the bamboo bridges built in the area.
Curiosities and Mysteries
The phenomenon of water: In this site you can witness how a stream of water that springs from the earth, begins its journey towards the Atlantic. A strange phenomenon of magnetism since in Chiriqui all the currents flow towards the Pacific. A mystery to solve.
Invisible writing: Another shocking experience is the existence of a unique stone that was engraved using a technique that allows you to see a route only when it gets wet. A phenomenon that leaves deep questions about the origin of this mysterious and historical place called Sitio Barriles.
The schedule of this archaeological museum is every day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information contact: Cell. 6575-1828.
(Special thanks to Family Landau – Houx)
