Richard Cooke: archeology and academic divulgation in Panama

Abstract

The diffusion of archaeology in Panama has been carried out through different media such as newspapers, magazines, television, internet, museums, and archaeological sites, interpretation centers among others, which have been strongly permeated by ideological discourses typical of the political and social context. Dr. Cooke has acted as promoter and disseminator of Panamanian archaeology since 1972. His initiatives link archaeological issues such as early settlement and the dispersion of human groups on the isthmus, the emergence of social inequality, the Pre-Columbian subsistence economy with current problems, all transversal to social and biological sciences such as the exploitation of marine and terrestrial ecosystems, the impact of human groups on these ecosystems, the appropriation of Panamanian archaeological heritage and the cultural continuity demonstrated by molecular genetics. It is the purpose of this article, therefore, to take a non-exhaustive historical journey through the informative experiences of Dr. Cooke not only in the academic field but above all for non-archaeologists. This article is a way to recognize Dr. Cooke’s career and highlight his work in public archeology. The informative experiences of Dr. Cooke will allow us to reflect on the current practices of spreading of in Panama and by extension in Latin America.