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Friday 21 July 2023 locAl
A10

Episode 25

Rock formations and rock Art Sites

sion phenomena affecting
ancient imagery within the
relatively protected en-
vironments of caves and
rock formation shelters.

Despite the fact that the
number of known sites has
risen in recent decades
there are few examples
in which the weathering
and erosion dynamics are
under investigation with a
view to developing propos-
als and to mitigate the im-
pact of natural and cultural
processes. Most of the work
Each week we share the rial providence. being done in different
most interesting and re- parts of the world appears
vealing articles regard- We as Etnia Nativa`s voiced to be ad-hoc, with minimal
ing Aruba” a destination and share our knowledge communication on such
to be explored “ we can in this matter concerning matters between teams
find, and so doing uncover the status and importance and with the wider archae-
amazing and informative of archeological sites, rock ological community. From
stories along the way. formations, historical as well the many calls for conser-
as Natural Monuments, Is- vation of rock-art coming
A couple years ago the last land’s endemic flora and from very different parts of
day took place in which it fauna preservation, waste the world it becomes ap-
was permitted by law for management and demo- parent that there are many
inhabitants of this Island graphic impact on the nat- threats to the perpetuation
to express and voice their ural environment in relation of this significant heritage.
concerns and document- with UN SDG indicators.
ed observations regarding Nevertheless, while some
ROP or insular territorial and The following 21 lines were authors reference physi-
space management plan taken from the source: cal weathering as the most
for the next 10 years. Natural processes in the pressing risk, others invoke
degradation of openair the negative effects of bio-
Document which had rock-art sites: an urgency degradation, especially
to be delivered at DIP, intervention scale to inform when lichen colonization is
Aruba`s Department of In- conservation – António Pe- concerned. In the present
frastructure and Planning. dro Martins Da Mota Batar- a relevant case study re-
Remarkable was the im- da Fernandes garding vandalism at rock-
pact the Town Hall Meeting art sites is recommended.
made, organized by the “Our Island has a significant We suggested that the way gent risks to be dealt with Drawings that are at tens
Island’s Chamber of Com- collection of prehistoric emphasis is placed on the by rock-art managers and of meters distance of each
merce and Industry reveal- rock art sites. While efforts different forms of risk has conservators. The world- other are considered one
ing the lack of information has been made in the past much to do with the spe- wide paucity of experi- site, one cluster. In fact,
available for the general to educating the general cific area of expertise of enced rock-art profession- “sites” within a radius of 500
public in finding help to as- public to participate in the each researcher involved, als signals that open-air m are considered one clus-
sess their individual situa- conservation of our Natural and, more importantly, rock-art conservation has ter.
tion problems and worries. Heritage. The same cannot with the different environ- not received the attention
A consolidated report re- be said of rock-art situated ments where rock-art exists. that other archaeological Arikok site contains one
quest answers to the rela- in the open-air. Very little Hence, different settings will remains have attracted”. of the most beautiful rock
tive importance of all the has been done to under- determine which weath- art collections of Aruba.
issues presented that night standing and managing ering patterns are more In total ca 301 pictographs All pictures in this episode
concerning Island’s territo- weather effects and ero- active and pose more ur- (including 3 petroglyphs) referrers to this particular
have been found on Aru- site that is situated whit in
ba. Of course one drawing the premises of Aruba’s
can be as little as a point National Park of the same
or line that may be meant name. During the study of
as a separate drawing by the pictographs at Arikok ,4
the ancient artist. Still, by clusters of drawings turned
counting every separate out to be situated on one
representation that every- straight line, more or less
body would call a drawing north-south over a distance
one reaches at a total of of 415 m.q
approximately 270 to 331
separate drawings repre- Source; Island Insight by Etnia
sentations over 17 sites. Nativa