Ruins of 350-year-old castle — destroyed by invaders — unearthed in Panama, photos show

Soldiers once stood on guard keeping watch over the sea blue ocean that stretched before them, while others puffed at pipes and chatted over a meal. Barricaded in their fort-like castle hundreds of years ago, they were the first defense along a coastline in modern-day Panama plagued by pirates and foreign enemies. But their defensive efforts weren’t always successful.

Centuries after a destructive invasion, archaeologists have begun digging to see what’s left of a castle that once stood along the coast of Colón, Panama, according to a Feb. 7 news release from The Association of Public Interest Center for Historical, Anthropological and Cultural Research.

The castle of San Lorenzo el Real de Chagres was rebuilt four times. The most recent version of the castle, constructed in 1768, still stands. The imposing military fort was constructed by Spain to protect transatlantic trade routes in its former colony, according to UNESCO.

Archaeologists aren’t so interested in the still-standing castle, the release said. Instead, they’re looking for remnants of the older castle – the version constructed in 1672 after pirates destroyed the second version. The version that stood proudly along the coastline until British invaders destroyed it in 1740.

Scanning the nearly picture-perfect green lawn with sensors, researchers found some anomalies and decided to excavate, hoping to uncover parts of the missing 17th century castle, according to the release.

Excavations began Jan. 10 and are ongoing, but portions of the 350-year-old castle have begun to reemerge through the dirt.

Archaeologists uncovered a military structure, castle moat and bastions, a type of defensive structure, according to the release. Photos show the rock-hewn ruins.

Smaller relics including cannonballs, pipes smoked by soldiers and everyday ceramic objects have also been unearthed. Photos from Panama’s Ministry of Culture show a few of these finds sitting on a blue tarp.

Researchers are looking for more than just the castle ruins. A small city, Chagres, used to supply the castle in the 17th century, but the town was abandoned when the Panama Canal was built. All remaining occupants were moved from Chagres to Nuevo Chagres in 1916, experts said.

The old city has since disappeared, and archaeologists are hoping to find its remains. The researchers may have identified the abandoned city’s church, but further excavations are needed to confirm this find, The Association of Public Interest Center for Historical, Anthropological and Cultural Research said in a Jan. 31 news release.

The project at the castle of San Lorenzo el Real de Chagres is a collaboration between Panamanian and Colombian researchers led by archaeologist Tomás Mendizábal, per the release.

Colón is along the northern coast of Panama and about 50 miles northwest of Panama City.

Google Translate was used to translate news releases from The Association of Public Interest Center for Historical, Anthropological and Cultural Research (Centro de Investigaciones Históricas, Antropológicas y Culturales) and Panama’s Ministry of Culture.

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