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LOCAL Wednesday 19 January 2022
Aruba’s rocks engravers Episode CXXXIX - 139
Together we all can be Aruba’s rangers, guardians of
our patrimony. Let’s create a consciousness that rock
Art is our heritage; yes, much more than just meaning-
less doodles made by our Aruban fore fathers. Con-
trary to popular belief it was not created by some un-
derdeveloped cannibal inhabitants of mythical epoch,
it does not reflect buried treasure maps. Neither were
they meant to just scare demons or bad spirits away.
What rock Art in general does provide is means of un-
derstanding the sacred as well as the mundane per-
spective of life “in our case” with what prehistoric Am- Pecking into the rock to create Petro- could be anything from saliva, to veg-
erindian cultures as a community could regionally and glyphs was a method to accomplish etal juices and vegetal oils, to a mix of
insular have experienced by means of rock art expres- with a hammer stone or stone chisel. water and calcium powder, tree gums,
sions and practices relating to it. Different pecking techniques created even egg shells or fresh guano were
different styles. Incising or scratching employed in many regions of the world.
What interesting is that the official native rock artist was with a sharp tool was also practiced. In- The surface of the rock was sometimes
often a mystical Medicine Man, teacher, the color pig- cised designs are more expressive and smoothed and abraded in preparation
ment mixer and a herb expert, however most probably detailed than pecked designs. Picto- for painting. Tools were sticks or prob-
because of his knowing and communal healing pow- graphs are usually created on light col- ably brushes made from the tips of aga-
ers and communication with the supernatural world. ored granite, protected from the ele- ve leaves chewed or beaten to remove
A continuation of the early shamanic and endemic ments, like on a Quartz Diorite surfaces the pulp, leaving vertical fibers for paint-
believes of most tribal societies, most likely remanence or on limestone walls and caves ceil- ing small solid areas, clear lines, and
which survived from before the migrations crossing ings. Stylized animals, humans and geo- other fine details. Wider areas could be
Beringia over twenty thousand years ago. metric object designs are common sub- painted for example with a corn husk or
jects. Pictograph pigments and binders cotton wrapped around the finger or
were probably obtained from soot, veg- even the finger itself depending on the
etal pigments, blood or pulverized min- time frame which these where made.
eral pigment or ochers. While Sea snails Dots were applied with the fingertips.
could have provided a purple reddish Entire hand prints could have been
stain. Binders were used to stabilize the created using for example a stenciled
coloring material and allow it to stick to design by spraying or blowing the paint
the rock. The colors generally used were around the hand that has been placed
red, orange, white and black. Red pig- with spread fingers on the surface of the
ment probably came from hematite rock. q
or iron oxide; orange from a combina-
tion of hematite, ocher, lichen or Brazil
wood. Did you say that you love Aruba its origins
Other sources of pigment included and cultural heritage? Than this private en-
white clay, silica, gypsum, chalk, cal- counter with our columnist anthropologist is
just as you. Sessions created in a gorgeous
cium carbonate, and charcoal. Pas- setting for visitor with special interests. Ap-
tels were created from clay mixed with pointment is required. etnianativa03@gmail.
other minerals. Water was used to cre- com or Whatsapp us 297 592 2702 for a pri-
ate consistency but the binding agent vate reservation.
