Page 13 - AHATA

Thursday 15 June 2023 locAl
A10

Aruba’s way back in time of the Paleo lithic hunters and gatherers

Episode 1: Coming from the North

Oranjestad — Nothing offered perfect layouts that
stood in their way and no- formed zoneswhere peo-
where in the new world ple were able towalkfor
seems to have been too far hours under a green cano-
to reach, if it only offered pies of rain forest, where
enough resources to make trees blocked the incoming
life easier. It was the time sun light during the whole
when atmospheric condi- year. Forest consisting of
tions indicated that the av- mixed vegetation made
erage temperature -about out of ferns, orchids, vines
twelve thousand years and bromeliads Etc. Many
ago- was six to twelve de- of these plants have long
grees cooler than it is to- disappeared and are to be
day, in the southwestern considered extinct variet-
Caribbean area. Climate ies, lost forever.
conditions were drier, but
it gradually became more Who knows what medici-
humid than what it is in nal properties, food source,
present days. This was the color pigment or even
time of the preceramic an effective insect or ver-
hunters and gatherers. min repeller these plants
could have carried? Even
Yes, Aruba`s landscape though it is a small island,
was alsocovered with a there were also places
greater amount of flora in that were open grasslands
thattime.The overall con- or savannas covered with
ditions in which these an- cactus and xerophilous,
cient marauders found this while other zones where
land upon their arrival was made out of wet lands and
in every aspect much more natural salt pans. However
favorable for people that there were no mango tree
were cultured and trained or coconut palms, tama-
to carry everything with rind juice or watermelons
them on their back or as re- and everything they knew different kind of forests this island to island till reaching
quired, have technical skills about electricity was that time, these mangroves of- Greater Area the southern continent or
andmake use of plants. he was the father of fire, fered on its part, a great Many different animals jumping from the Yucatan
Liketobe able to read the wind and water and that deal of marine resources lived in the greater area, peninsula to Cuba and
slightest atmospheric varia- the earth was their mother including timber. Coastal some familiar but many the islands.And the most
tions to predict the weath- and mother of all things. mangrove forests grew so others only exists today in probable route of access-
er conditions or that great- He, who came from be- thick and dense that it only old records, books and in ing Aruba most have been
er sense of smell that was yond the clouds and lit up gave way in a few places fossil exhibits in museums from the South American
developed to distinguish the night skies with his flash to reach shore with dug out or stored in warehouses continent. This would have
scents of different animals, and thundering voice. tree trunk canoes. These around the globe as tes- been the shortest and easi-
coming rain or ripen fruits. access points to the shore, timony of their once exis- est way to reach the island.
All this together and more Bays of Aruba in time became bays and tence and as world extinct There is no doubt that the

contributed to an easy and We must try to imagine by some are still in use today. fauna collections. Among distance must have been
a sustainableway of life in picturing how the southern Places like the Comman- the extinct mega fauna we closer to the isthmus of
a harsh and wild environ- coast was covered whit deursbaai at Savaneta or find the camel, giant ar- Paraguaná and sea levels
ment. a thick mix of many man- the Spanish Lagoon, Bar- madillo, short-faced bear, where 60 to 90 meters low-
groves varieties that had cadera, the Lagoon and long-horned bison, mast- er further in time.
Mother Earth their roots in the sea direct Paardenbaai in Oranjes- odon, tapir, ground sloth,
The island`s landscape and in front of the coast line, tad. saber-toothed tiger, mam- The land that today forms
topography in many areas forming impenetrable and moth, dire wolf, and horses the land stretched out till
However, there used to be on the American continent the foot of the Sta. Anna
another bay in Oranjestad (the present horse was later hill in South America, so
which was called Taratata reintroduced by the con- that the island was at-
, the only bay that carried quistadors)In the beginning tached to the South Ameri-
the Toponym or name giv- of the Paleo-Lithic era, oc- can land mass beyond
en by our Paleo hunters. It is cupation of the American sea level,since we are po-
what probably meant, the continent started by archa- sitioned on the continental
place of arrival, related to ic hunters who followed shelf, meaning thatmany
Taratara in Venezuela that these big mammals like animals and variety of sub-
means, place of departure the mammoth in to North archaic cultures within an
in the Paleolithic language. America. archaic context during
Regrettably Taratata has thousands of years could
been absorbed with the One possible route that have reached this part of
expansion of the late con- these hunters could have the world by just walking.q
tainer haven at Paarden- followed to reach the Ca-
baaitogether with its name ribbean was from the Flo- Source; Island Insight column
almost forgotten in time. ridian pan handle jumping by Etnia Nativa.