Richard Cooke: the past, present and future of Panamanian archaeology

Abstract

A summary of the professional trajectory of Richard Cooke is presented. Richard arrived in Panama at a period when for the first time a team of pioneering specialists was gathering to study our deep past. Through his multiple projects and numerous publications, his scientific rigor, the training of dozens of youths from all over the world sharing his knowledge, and his insistence on archaeology as an inter-disciplinary task, Richard Cooke has left an indelible mark in the development of the archaeology of Panama and the surrounding region. He is without a doubt the father of Panamanian archaeology.