BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Tell a FRIEND!

Back To Newsletter Main

..

XIX International Congress for
Caribbean Archeology

IACA attracted international archeologists, almost 200 participants, who descended on the Marriott in Aruba for a week of scholarly presentations and discussions. The visitors hail from Cuba, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and mix nicely with the Americans, Canadians, Dutch, French and English working on Caribbean digs. Wednesday afternoon the scholars donned hiking boots and examined the excavations of Tanki Flip & Santa Cruz, first hand. Then they explored the wonders of the Archeological museum, in town. Thursday, they dedicated the morning linking the glorious past to the technological present in Aruba.

Today's Fisherman & Shellfish distribution: New Tools for Archeology?
The first lecture of the day, given by local marine biologist Byron Boekhoudt, linked biology and archeology, the past with the present via marine shells. Boekhoudt went on to talk about Strombis Gigas the pink giant so popular in ancient tools, weaponry and jewelry. It is up to this day of economic importance as a souvenir and a popular food item. Conch, the islanders are crazy about it, marinated with onions and hot pepper! Boekhoudt's presentation shortly discussed the shell's variations, size, form, and then described its food sources, possible predators, migration routes and reproductive habits. Apparently, the availability of the conch shell is closely related to the tall sea grass beds along Aruba's shore. These abundant fields of grass breed and protect conch, which in turn serves islanders so well through generations. Boekhoudt then offered a theory that because the conch was so much in demand, over-fishing forced the creature to distance itself from shore. It adapted to deep-water reproduction. While young conch stay in shallow waters, reproducing adults prefer living tucked in seabeds down yonder. Boekhoudt reports much of his research comes from local fishermen, a clannish, traditional society. Young men are on a kind of internship with the elders Boekhoudt states, and while the world changes, they are conservative and resort to age-old group dynamics. Due to coastal changes, caused by erosion and storms, nature re-arranges itself on an ongoing basis. Shells, and their distribution, concluded Boekhoudt, contribute to our understanding of the island's archeology.

Marine Shells as mediums in Prehistoric archeology
Marlene Linville who participated here in the Tanki Flip dig, looked at the ornamental use of marine shells by ancient people. In a 50 square meter area in Tanki Flip she says 281 objects were found, most of them classified as highly modified shell art. This points perhaps, to a knowledgeable, relatively sophisticated craftsmen population. The majority of the beads and disc, 84%, were made of the most popular shell in the region the giant Strombis, also known as conch. It is the most popular shell available; naturally, it is abundant in our waters - marine biologist Boekhoudt, agrees - besides the fact that the shell is indeed excellent jewelry material.

Linville reports being unclear about the designation of discs, was it ornamental, ritualistic, functional, perhaps they were used as game pieces. She also reports unmodified shell pieces to be found in burial sites, such as Malmok. Perhaps ancient civilizations just appreciated the morphology, the beauty of the shell as found in nature and equipped their deads on their eternal journey with a few. In the Aruban archeological museum, Linville recounts, there are 956 shell objects. They are small, and require very sophisticated digital equipment for their further exploration. It is her intention, she stated, to continuously study the museum collection to properly identify the type of marine shells used by the artisans. Made of 42% beads, and 34% small discs, the collection must be studied according to technological attributes such as polishing and production methods. It must also be looked at as far as the shell material is concerned.

Linville showed a very striking curved shell mask pendant, an eccentric piece of rare beauty, which was found on the island and compared it to similar images found in American Indian collections and in Maya civilizations. She also surprised the audience with a frog image and reported very similar ones found in Curacao and Bonaire. Did the ancient people travel? How far did they get. According to Linville archeologists in the region still have a lot of work to do before complete historical periods can be explained.

Burials at Santa Cruz Site in Aruba
Aruba's most accomplished archeologist is Aad Versteeg, a scholar from the University of Leiden. He reported to the educated crowd about his findings in a 5 km exploitation range, in the village in Santa Cruz, where people lived from 950 to 1250, and possibly up to the Spanish arrival in the early 1600s. The area was rich in soil and suitable for agriculture, he revealed.

In 1991-92, a flock of scientists unveiled secrets from the past in that area and presented their findings in an elegant book format. Their method of removing topsoil from an area of 840 square meters, turned very successful. With the cover peeled off, the earth was marked with dark spots. Those turned out to be post-holes suitable for the construction of huts. Applying connect-a-dot methodology, Versteeg was not able to reconstruct the village, my houses, he bantered were potato-shaped, however he did document the post-holes found and suggested their designation.

Sifting endless buckets of soil he found 618 pre-Colombian artifacts buried in the post-holes, some Colombian glass found in the area indicated the place was also inhabited once the Spaniards arrived. Versteeg's power point presentation included 31 burial sites, some in clusters some buried individually. The methods of burials are as diverse as possible: Some Indians were buried outside their huts, some inside; some in secondary burial sites, tucked into upturned urns. Some deads revealed holes in their skull. Were they bored post-mortem, or was there an effort to connect veins and allow the sick to live?

Versteeg reports finding children remains mixed with adults in primary burials, women buried with griddles, people with no feet. Some sites contained skulls, some included body bones and teeth. The patterns, says Versteeg need to be further investigated as Indian burial rites are complex and different. Apparently, the secrets of the past have been reveled yet still remain, a mystery. The complete Santa Cruz site excavations will be on internet in September.

Salvage excavations and Archeological finds in Aruba 1996-2001
This segment was presented by the resident local Archeologist, Raymundo Dijkoff. Dijkoff traced the beginning of salvage excavations on the island to a chance archeological find at the home of family Faro in 1966. The Faros were digging a foundation for a new home when they were confronted with remnants from an Indian past.

Esso Times, the only island newspaper at the time, carried large headlines celebrating the pottery treasure. According to Dijkoff who graduated a Dutch university in 1997 and assumed a position at the museum as soon as he obtained his degree, there is much to do on the island. Rock drawings must be studied further; the shell industry examined closer; underwater archeology is yet to be born, besides international digs, such as in Tanki Flip and Santa Cruz uncovering entire ancient settlements must be expanded.

Dijkoff prepared a power-point presentation for his audience, from accidental encounters with lost civilizations. He described the excavations at family Wever's home, in Savaneta, which uncovered a primary burial site, in 1996. The ceramic period find in Santa Cruz, featured a woman buried alongside a kitchen griddle, and most probably a cassava grater, pointing to the fact she was a member of an evolved agricultural society. From March to June this year, Dijkoff conducted an investigation in the home of Family Figaroa, in Santa Cruz where 3 skeletons were found, including that of a woman buried with grave gifts of 2500 black & white glass beads, indicating brisk trade with the colonials and Europe.

Dijkoff also reported of skeletons found by the Police. When bones were discovered at Boca Urirama, the Police thought at first it was a missing-person's case, but when more than one person's bones were uncovered the Police handed the case over to the archeologists as no mass murderer, Dijkoff banters, has ever been found operating in Aruba. Another Police discovery shed light on a female body buried with ape and bird bones, a griddle and other gifts. It was turned over to the museum.

[Text & Images courtesy of Rona Coster]
                                         

Back to latest news

Contributed articles depict individual experiences and opinions
which are not necessarily consonant with views of the operators of VisitAruba.com

..