Archaeologists excavating the El Caño Archaeological Park in Panama have unearthed a remarkable "gold-tongued" mask within a high-status tomb, dating back approximately 1,200 years. The artifact, found alongside several other gold ornaments, is believed to have been used during elaborate funerary festivals that honored the transition of elite members of the Coclé culture into the ancestral realm.
Research suggests that these festivals involved multi-day communal banquets and rhythmic chanting. The gold tongue symbol is thought to represent the preservation of the deceased's voice, allowing them to participate in perpetual celestial celebrations. This discovery provides the first direct evidence of the specific ritual attire used during the "Festival of the Ancestral Voice," a tradition previously only hinted at in oral histories of the region.