Page 14 - ARUBA TODAY

A14 LOCAL
Tuesday 2 July 2019
Geo Insular Patrimony

Episode XII

Rock formations and rock Art Sites Each week we share the most interesting and revealing

articles regarding Aruba” a destination to be explored “ we
can find, and so doing uncover amazing and informative
Two week ago was the last day permitted by law on which the inhabitants of this stories along the way.
Island had their opportunity to express and voice their concerns and documented
observations regarding ROP or insular territorial and space management plan for the
next 10 years. Document which had to be delivered at DIP, Aruba`s Department of In-
frastructure and Planning. Remarkable was the impact the Town Hall Meeting made,
organized by the Island’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry revealing the lack of
information available for the general public in finding help to assess their individual
situation problems and worries. A consolidated report request answers to the relative
importance of all the issues presented that night concerning Island’s territorial provi-
dence.

Pic. 1 Arikok rock formation and pictograph site in side PNA

We as Etnia Nativa`s voiced and share CY INTERVENTION SCALE TO INFORM CON-
our knowledge in this matter concerning SERVATION - ANTÓNIO PEDRO MARTINS
the status and importance of archeologi- DA MOTA BATARDA FERNANDES - http://
cal sites, rock formations, historical as well eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/20995/1/
as Natural Monuments, Island’s endemic Fernades_A-2012-compressed.pdf
flora and fauna preservation, waste man- “Our Island has a significant collection of
agement and demographic impact on prehistoric rock art sites. While efforts has
the natural environment in relation with UN been made in the past to educating the
SDG indicators. general public to participate in the con-
servation of our Natural Heritage. The
the following 21 lines were taken from the same cannot be said of rock-art situated Pic. 3. painting showing form of a man in red pigmentation
surrounded by white colored radiating circles
source: in the open-air. Very little has been done
NATURAL PROCESSES IN THE DEGRADATION to understanding and managing weather ancient imagery within the parent that there are many
OF OPENAIR ROCK-ART SITES: AN URGEN- effects and erosion phenomena affecting relatively protected en- threats to the perpetuation
vironments of caves and of this significant heritage.
rock formation shelters. De- Nevertheless, while some
spite the fact that the num- authors reference physi-
ber of known sites has risen cal weathering as the most
in recent decades there pressing risk, others invoke
are few examples in which the negative effects of bio-
the weathering and ero- degradation, especially
sion dynamics are under when lichen colonization is
investigation with a view to concerned. In the present
developing proposals and a relevant case study re-
to mitigate the impact of garding vandalism at rock-
natural and cultural pro- art sites is recommended.
cesses. Most of the work We suggested that the
being done in different way emphasis is placed
parts of the world appears on the different forms of
to be ad-hoc, with minimal risk has much to do with
communication on such the specific area of ex-
matters between teams pertise of each researcher
and with the wider archae- involved, and, more impor-
ological community. From tantly, with the different
the many calls for conser- environments where rock-
vation of rock-art coming art exists.
from very different parts of
the world it becomes ap- Continued on Page 15
Pic. 2. Arikok pictograph collection in an QD bolder