Barriles, Archaeological site in Chiriquí Province, Panama.

Barriles is an archaeological site in the Chiriquí highlands with a collection of stone sculptures, ceramics, and ancient tools scattered across elevated terrain. The location sits at about 1200 meters elevation and shows the remains of an earlier settlement center.

Barriles was largely occupied during the Aguas Buenas period (AD 300-900), known locally as the Bugaba period, with a residential population estimated at 500 to 1000 people. Six of nine radiocarbon dates cluster between AD 500 and 800. The site is thought to have been a socioceremonial center; during the later Chiriquí phases (AD 900-1500) the villages dissolved and populations dispersed again.

The name Barriles comes from the small stone barrels found in the area, though such objects also occur elsewhere in the Río Chiriquí Viejo valley and in Costa Rica. The Landau family, who own the northwestern part of the site, display artifacts in their yard, in the walls of a fake excavation block and in a small private museum, and give guided tours in Spanish and English. Not all displayed pieces were found on-site.

The site sits on elevated terrain and requires appropriate gear and physical preparation for exploration. It helps to hire a local guide to understand the layout and identify the various discovery areas across the grounds.

The name Barriles comes from small stone barrels found in the area, though the same objects have also turned up elsewhere in the Río Chiriquí Viejo valley and in Costa Rica. The site is also catalogued as BU-24, and its northwestern part lies on the private Landau finca, where artifacts are displayed in the yard, in the walls of a fake excavation block and in a small museum.