Page 12 - HOH

Tuesday 27 June 2023 locAl
A10

Episode 10

Geo insular patrimony: an ancient heritage
Landscape character Part 2

The main component of coast where mangroves
this hill is hooibergite. Other and small beaches alter-
“foreign” phenomena in nate. Another important
the QD landscape are the site which is situated on QD
small hills at the north coast. debris is Parkietenbos. Two
Here gabbro is the main sites are here, at the east-
component. Although of and west bank of a large
different appearance, gut, the same gut that flows
physical and landscape- through Santa Cruz. The soil
forming characteristics, at Parkietenbos is compa-
The Quartzdiorite (QD) of QD debris. This debris is of these dry rivers show a the QD, hooibergite, and rable to that in Tanki Flip.
landscape in Sta. Cruz, the main geological com- black top soil layer forming gabbro have a common
geological origin and are, The QD-landscape had a
Tanki Flip, Noord, Alto Vis- ponent of the area around an ideal place for vegeta-
ta and Sabaneta as men- Sabaneta. tion. These favorable hy- in fact, one geological unit, second important func-
called the batholith. The tion for the prehistoric
tioned, is where a number drological- and soil condi-
of relatively deep guts or The QD basement of these tions of this landscape have difference in landscape groups. Pictographs and
forming characteristics is petroglyphs are found on
dry rivers are to be found. guts is impermeable, form- been evident to Amerindi- the result of the difference QD boulders. Most of the
The considerable amount ing shallow natural water- ans.The Hooiberg (166 m), in resistance to weathering pictographs are found in
of weathered material on reservoirs in the upperlying a conical-shaped hill west of these rocks. the natural cavities of the
top of the diorite basement detritus. The modern water- of Santa Cruz is situated in boulders. These cavities
is cut through by water dur- reservoirs are mostly made the middle of the typical
ing rainfall. Many of these near these dry rivers in the QD landscape. Only one of the Preceramic are a product of chemi-
sites is found in the QD land-
cal weathering of the rock
guts contain large amounts QD landscape. Most banks
scape. Other Preceramic and are always situated
sites such as Arashi are situ- on the leeside of the boul-
ated near outcrops of QD. der. Twelve of the seven-
The site Barcadera is near teen rock drawing sites
large amounts of QD de- are in the QD landscape.
bris. The vicinity of these ar- Quartz diorite was used to
eas to the coast is for these make a variety of tools. It
two sites of more signifi- has the characteristic that
cance than the QD com- it evens out easily after it’s
ponent, if we consider the chipped. The natural round
characteristics of the pre- form made it a good mate-
ceramic groups. The larg- rial to make grinding tools
est Ceramic sites are situ- and sling-and hammer-
ated in the QD-landscape. stones. The natural cavities
The favorable hydrologi- were furtherly deepened to
cal conditions created by make metates.
the guts and the relatively
good agricultural soil in the Ancient Arubans knew
areas of Santa Cruz, Tanki very good how to imple-
Flip and Sabaneta, made ment what was on hand
long-term habitation by and even going so far to
the ceramic groups pos- import types of stones such
sible. Two large gutsrun as chert and jade to make
through the sites of Tanki graters for grinding yucca
Flip and Santa Cruz. Tanki roots in to flour. Ground
Flip is in a flat area with only raw grains, seeds or roots
a few boulders. Santa Cruz used to make many differ-
is in a slightly undulating ent foods. Cereal or tuber
landscape with many QD- flour is the main ingredient
boulders. The guts here are of ayaca, tamal, empaná,
relatively deeper than at pastechi, tortilla or pan
Tanki Flip. bati(bread, which is the
staple food for most Amer-
Sabaneta is situated at indian cultures).
the end of a rooi in a QD
–landscape with no boul- Source; Island Insight col-
ders. This site is near the umn by Etnia Nativa.q