Page 12 - AHATA

Friday 16 June 2023 locAl
A10

Part 2

Aruba`s Paleo lithic hunters and gatherers

Nothing stood in their path, as we have mentioned in our first episode

It would be yesterday if we of years exposed to the
ask Pachamama in terms of elements, since the time it
her existence so to speak, was dropped or left there
since the last ice age melt on the floor obtaining its
down took place. However patina.
this was what is believed
to have opened new hunt- Interpreting century’s old
ing territory and navigable information recollected
waters for the early archaic with the goal of study and
hunter, explorer and ex- analyzes, is why lithic uten-
ploiter. sils, pollen, animal bones
and burial grounds are ex-
Endurance and intrepid- cavated is all about. In vari-
ness had found the means ous places on the island ar-
of a pretty good life, how- chaic hunters activities was
ever very mobile and on present. However it takes
a constant move when it a trained eye to read the
was time to pick up camp. earth`s surface for clues.
But if food and resource Finding evidence to sup-
were in abundance the port the theory that the Pa-
urge to move became less leolithic man had to dedi-
necessary. In other words and plenty of leisure time, cate himself and master
they were a semi nomadic with medium and small various tasks and technics
people of convenience game, marine animals, in order to conquer his en-
that exploited the avail- and batholite boulders that vironment is essential.
able goods and supply in offer great shelter but most
a specific area or zone. In important there were fresh We trust that as scientific
this aspect the island must water reservoirs that of- disciplines applied tech-
have been very attractive fered yearlong sustainable nologies become more
to come back after one clean and fresh water sup- and more accurate as well
season or more, discover- plies. as accessible new findings
ing the plenty the island will reveal an unimagina-
had to offer in those early Early tool technology elaboration of North Amer- island composes the ma- ble window of discoveries.
days. It must have provided Technological similarities ica Paleo-Natives and of jority of what can be con- Separating the did`s and
also a peaceful existence between the stone tools their South American cous- sidered scarce teachings did nots during the Paleo
ins is an evident beyond for generations, evidence hunters travels in the Pan
any reasonable doubt and that constitutes the record Caribbean area and more
unlikely that simple bifacial for this time in human his- precisely Aruba.
worked, stone projectile tory. Just as in other places.
points would have been Stones and rocks where in Now it is to imagine nomad-
invented independently abundance everywhere ic family groups, bands and
during the same period in on the island. Each differ- clans of approximately 30
time, on both continents. ent lithic material was ap- individuals, arriving in dub
It is inconceivable that this plied according to their out canoes with animals
would have happened. strength and conditions. and vegetation that was
Rather than representing Some of them where trans- not here before practic-
cultures divergent on a formed into weights for ing and primitive agro cul-
major time scale, the early fishing nets, sling shots, bo- ture. Also prime materials
Paleo-Indian lithic industries leadoras, color pigments, were imported in the form
in South America are fairly arrow heads, axes and of chert since it was not vi-
closely and obviously tied scrapers among other. Lo- able on the island. Family
to North American ante- cal bifacial series present groups of ages between
cedents. Other specialized some common features, 47 for those who have seen
artifacts of the early indus- but are chiefly character- better day to a new born.
tries are also nearly identi- ized by range in diversity of Excavation production
cal, such as snub-nosed blank types, whereas the can tells us a lot regarding
end scrapers, thumbnail heavy-duty component health and believes height,
scrapers, gravers, notched presents in the material to what they ate, etc. in what
tools, bifacial knife-scrap- fabricate bifacial axes that conditions they must had
ers, and flake scrapers with wherelimited to specific is- survived locally. One of
retouch from alternate land quarries. these excavated sites is
sides. Malmok.q
The blueish original color
Artifacts made out of lo- Pic 2, where this bifacial Source; Island Insight Column
cal stone, shells coral and axe is chipped recently, by Etnia Nativa.
bones were found in shell contrasts the lighter color
maidens, burials while rock shown on the entire exte-
art sites scattered on the rior represents thousands