petroglyphen im valle del encanto - StoneWatch

imental stage. In the relevant literature, the dating problem of a
specific site is often simplified to the question: who made them,
Arawaks or Caribs ?
COMPASS BEARING
We noted down the compass bearing of engraved surfaces in
214 cases, on a sixteen points scale. Simplification of these
numbers to a four quadrant scale results into the following numbers:
North: 60; East: 54; South: 41; West: 59. From these data
it follows that Lesser Antilles petroglyphs do not show a preference
for a specific orientation. This rules out the phenomenon
of a deliberate and integrate East orientation, which is often reported
in Petroglyph literature, where it is associated with sun
worship.
AVERAGE DIMENSIONS
A calculation from our data stock shows that the horizontal and
vertical dimensions of an average Lesser Antilles petroglyph are
23 and 26 cm. This is rather small for American Indian engravings.
By way of comparison: petroglyphs in Surinam average
47 x 51 cm, which means that they are four times as large. The
small dimensions in our area may be explained by the predominance
of the Simple Face motif.
ROCK SPECIES
The samples we collected from the engraved rocks were determined
by Prof Dr. S.B. Kroonenberg, Wageningen University,
The Netherlands. He characterized the material in general as follows,
„Rather compact volcanic rocks, for the greater part lavas;
some somewhat coarse grained rocks possibly from domes. The
composition is intermediate (andecitic to dacitic)“.
From these data it follows that the petroglyph makers in the
Lesser Antilles neither chose the weakest rocks for easiest engraving,
nor the hardest ones for maximal duration of the drawings,
but that they picked out the more massive, non-fossile rocks.
COMPARISON OF LESSER ANTILLES PETROGLYPHS
WITH THE ENGRAVINGS OF THE GREATER ANTILLES
Lesser and Greater Antilles petroglyphs show a number of similarities
which point to cultural contacts in prehistoric times. On
the other hand, dissimilarities exist which point to an individual
character of both regions.
Similarities:
1. The typical N. E South American rock art figures mentioned
in the next paragraph (curled shoulders, etc.) are absent both in
the Lesser and in the Greater Antilles.
2. Spirals and matchstick figures (Fig. 3) in both regions do not
occupy the dominant position they have on the mainland. In the
Greater Antilles they are scarce; in the Lesser Antilles they are
practically absent.
3. Both in the Greater and in the Lesser Antilles the majority of
the drawings consists of simple faces (Fig. 3); in the remaining
corpus, elaborate faces (Fig. 3) and complete anthropomorphs
dominate. This dominating position of anthropomorphic motifs
does not exist on the mainland.
6
Fig. 3. Some Petroglyph Motifs. 1. Simple faces, 2. Elaborate faces, 3.
Curled shoulders, 4. Double spirals, 5. Double reversed spirals, 6.
Concentric circles, 7. Footsteps, 8. Suns with rays, 9. Framed crosses,
10. Matchstick figures, 11. Frog men, 12. Men with concentric diamonds
bodies, 13. Eye and ear in one piece, 14. Headfeet people, 15.
Double ears, 16. Head on rope.
Fig. 4 Ball Court Figure, Puerto Rico
Dissimilarities:
1. The elaborate anthropomorphic
figures on ball court slabs
(Fig. 4) are specific for the
Greater Antilles. Even the ball
court slabs in St Croix do not
have this type of human figures.
2. Specific for the Greater
Antilles are, next to these ball
court figures: barbed faces, framed
crosses, terrifying faces
with bulging eyes, and rabbitlike
figures with upstanding
pointed ears (Fig. 6). It is striking
that these motifs do not
occur in the Lesser Antilles, with
the exception of Grenada which
has them all.
This might point to a direct cultural
contact between Grenada and the Greater Antilles in prehistoric
times. However, archaeological investigations based on
other prehistoric remains do not support this supposition.
Fig. 6. 1. Barbed faces, 2. Terrifying faces, 3. Rabbits, 4. Faces with
small circles on the contour line.
3. In the Greater Antilles figures occur showing faces with small
circles (four or more) on their contour line (Fig. 6). In some
cases the whole outline of the face is occupied with these circles.
These figures occur neither on the mainland, nor in the
Lesser Antilles.