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local Friday 15 december 2023

The Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins and its history

(Oranjestad)—The Bushiribana three-year search was conducted and informed Curacao that gold
Gold Mill Ruins is one of the most on Aruba, to no avail. Though they was found. At first, everyone could
visited places by tourists on the is- found some gold, it was enough to look for gold, as long as they sold it
land, as it lies along the northern motivate a further search, and the to the government. However, after
coast line near the mini pool and assignment was discontinued by some time, the government decid-
on the way to the Natural Bridge. Printz himself. ed to implement stricter rules and
Despite its seemingly plain ap- banned local search parties.
pearance, this ruin represents one It wasn’t until 100 years later, in
of the most important histories of 1824, when a young boy found a Over the years, concession-holding
the island: The Aruban Gold Rush. lump of gold while out herding his had seen different companies from
father’s sheep. His father took it to a around the world, all of which used
Built in 1872 by English company local merchant who then sold the primitive methods to dig and carve processes were done at the Bushiri-
Aruba Island Gold Mining Compa- lump for $70. Unbeknownst to the out gold from the rocks. Aruba Is- bana Gold Mill.
ny Ltd, the gold mill at Bushiribana boy and his father, they quite liter- land Gold Mining Company Ltd.
was constructed in the area where ally struck gold, and as word got was no different, but used a unique The gold mill itself had a short life-
most gold was found by locals. The out, a gold fever spread among method that involved grinding the span: only 10 years in service, but
story of gold on Aruba actually the locals who started searching rocks and letting the dust be blown its structure remained relatively sol-
dates back to 1725, when a first for more gold. About 25 pounds away by the strong northeast wind, id till this day, and is now a histori-
exploration for gold on the island worth was found. leaving clumps of gold behind. The cal remnant.
was commissioned by the Dutch next step was melting the gold and
West India Company. Under the At the same time, the Aruban gov- letting it attach to quicksilver in or- Sources: Etnia Nativa & goldminer-
leadership of Mr. Paulus Printz, a ernment took immediate actions, der to obtain pure gold. All these anch.com.

Episode LXXXVI- 86: The cult of the death

Throughout history man burial in secondary urns
provoked and forged his from existing descriptions
form of existence within of such “double” burials.
his natural environment. They are practiced to this
He learned of his ecosys- day by the indigenous
tem and how to adapt and Guajiros, residents of the
dominate towards civiliza- peninsula of the same
tion. Caring for his dead name on the border with
was also a very important Venezuela and Colombia.
part of life and that was no More comparisons can be
different in Aruba. made between the Gua-
jiro and the pre-Columbian
When we look at how each population of Aruba, such
group or tribe cared for as their environment, food
their deceased, we find and religion, which had
that our Aruba ancestors everything to do with how
also performed their spe- the natives, particularly
cial ceremonies of devo- from this area, related to
tion and respect. Caring the world of the dead and
for her deceased relatives beyond. How to prepare
was an honor. From ar- each of your deceased
chaeological finds, much relatives for their spiritual
of their social and political journey through the under-
organizations can be de- world and into the land of
termined and, by studying their dead ancestors and
the remains of their tombs, corded differences remains out any gifts. This means the bones are excavated. friends. There is evidence
a differentiation in their sta- a mystery until now, but the they were buried without These bones or skeletal re- that Dabajuroid people,
tus and hierarchy can be differences, by any doubt, any gifts, or the gifts were mains subsequently obtain in addition to these types
established for each indi- are evidence of the status perishable and disap- their permanent resting of burials within the village,
vidual by their remains, for of individuals, families or peared without a trace for place in a fairly small ves- have done burials in caves
example. The inhabitants of groups within the commu- us. The gifts that we find sel. If, after such a proce- outside the village.
the large villages practiced nity. in some of the dead were dure, the bones are buried
four or five different forms buried in large clay pots in a large container, the ar- To get to know a little more
of burial. These differences The dead were buried in or urns: direct burial-urn. In chaeologist may misinter- regarding Aruba’s and its
undoubtedly represent so- the ground within the vil- fact, the dead are buried pret it as direct urn burial. cultural origins we highly
cial differences in these lage and some with special twice. The corpse is first bur- recommend you to book
Dabajuroid communities. gifts in their grave. Howev- ied in the ground, after a We have a fairly clear idea your participation in our
The background of the re- er, some were found with- few months or even years, of the whole process of cultural encounter session.
A mind opening revelation
Article by: Etnia Nativa and entertaining island ex-
perience. Mail us at etni-

Whatsapp us +297 592 2702 and book anativa03@gmail.com, our
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