The Penn Museuma??s excavations at Sitio Conte began in 1940 with an invitation from private landowner, Miguel Conte. Since discovering a Pre-Columbian cemetery on his property in 1927, Conte had encouraged professional archaeologists to help record the history of the ancient Cocleì? people who once lived there. Associate Curator J. Alden Mason took the lead on the project and, at the onset of the dry season in late January, sailed to Panama City with a budget of $4,000. After establishing a formal contract with Conte and gaining the necessary approvals from the Panamanian Government, Mason set to work on a ten-week investigation.
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