Santiago F. Silva Garcia (1)
Orlando Alvarez de la Paz (2)
(1) Degree in Physics and Astronomy
amateur archaeologist (2) Plant Engineering
amateur archaeologist
DEDICATION .-
-Al Dr. Manuel Rivero de la Calle, for information related to the first archaeological evidence sent to the laboratory and breath samples that gave us repeatedly. THANKS
.-
. Members of the Group Caonao disappeared, for their valuable support and participation in archaeological survey work in the territory of present Cabaiguán municipality in the period 1982 to 1989.
. My daughter Dunia Cruz Silva for their selfless participation in the development of designs for each of the lithic evidence that shape and illustrate this research.
. Peter and Guillermo Baena Pablo Godo, of Archaeology Department of ACC for their valuable assistance given both in studio and materials knowledge transmitted directly during joint investigations inside and outside the municipality.
INTRODUCTION This study was the starting point for the further construction of the previous Aboriginal Communities Local History in the municipality of Cabaiguán of Sancti Spiritus province, Cuba is also the fruit of the selfless work of a group of enthusiastic researchers, who for nearly 8 years explored a large part of that territory, devoting his spare time benefit of archaeological science.
For the novelty of the information provided, the nature of the settlements in their wardrobe, as well as the importance it has in the scientific, educational and cultural, is that this work can be a valuable reference material. both for researchers and for teachers.
is attached to or accompanying this work: maps, charts and designs of the archaeological evidence most representative of each of the fields discovered and studied, also briefly described in both the field work in the areas of study the materials and methods used for cabinet work. Finally, from the nature of the evidence it follows an assessment of each site, establishing preliminary findings.
The authors believe the study is open, thus allowing the incorporation of new information, to the extent that new discoveries are made.
This research seeks, among other cartographic purposes-locate all sites or settlements discovered so far in the municipality Cabaiguán, value or distinctive characteristics of each of them from the evidence collected in surface and to contribute to the knowledge of local history.
HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL
Cabaiguán in the sixteenth century was a thriving herd, whose grant was awarded to Bartolomé Jiménez - "Old " - by the council Spiritus. The town itself was founded in 1894.
The first reports are in relation to archaeological finds in our town were presented by Fernando Garcia and Grave de Peralta, as a result of archaeological excursions at the end of last century. The aforementioned researcher proposes the following:
- "Since we began our journey to Las Villas, to the Swamp Zapata and until we, in the ups and downs of the war to the Prefecture of Neiva, in the jurisdiction of Sancti Spiritus, had not returned to find anything related to our Indians. And it was precisely there that we saw, opening holes for the huts of a camp, some mixed fragments of pots and pans and cutting tips and amygdaloidal axes of the kind mentioned above. [...] What if we missed in this deposit was the fact that everything was dead and buried. Regarding the latter, we explained to us by the course of more than four centuries, during which the erosion of the surrounding places brought a layer carrying the plant remains were mixed and not a few pieces of bones and pottery glazed modern
[...]".
In July 1960, archaeologist José Álvarez Conde Neiva visit the area in order to locate the place of the findings of Grave de Peralta, but the results were unsuccessful (Alvarez Conde, 1961). From this date has not referred any more about findings or studies in our municipality, except the many explorations and discoveries of a considerable number of archaeological sites and evidence made by the isolated Caonao Group, the Speleological Society of Cuba , from 1982 until the present. The performance by this group in a preliminary study Aboriginal Wastewalker of Neiva Viejo, is the first investigation after the discovery of Grave de Peralta in the late nineteenth century.
In 1987, Pedro Pablo Godo and Guillermo Baena-specialists Stone carving, the Archaeology Department of ACC , studying with members of the Group Caonao Santiago F. Silva and Orlando García Álvarez de la Paz Seibacoa lithic site.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The discoveries of archaeological sites was made possible in part by personal communications and in most cases by pre-planned exploration, following the routes or directions more likely to travel and aboriginal settlement.
can be said that 65% of the total potential features for human settlements available to our town, has been explored by the Group Caonao (see Figure 1). This study is based on the analysis and assessment of the material collected in the 15 sites discovered in the territory of Cabaiguán by the two methods mentioned.
Although not repeated in each of them, the material consists of lithic evidence, pottery, shells and debris. Except
Neiva Viejo site in neither case were made excavations, and discovered that all the site are changed, since they are located on land used for agriculture. Neiva Viejo excavations were rescue. All the furnishings came from surface collections, probably coinciding with the last stages housing in each of the study areas.
became necessary to undertake systematic work with all the archaeological evidence, which in turn were stored in boxes with indications of the type of material and place of origin.
All material was properly washed and removed residues attached to its surface sediments. This procedure was used without mishaps in the lithic material without however, pottery, shells and debris to extreme caution, as these are often the qie evidence appear in worse condition.
When cleaning the working surface of majadores, hammers and rocks molederas was careful not to brush them hard to not destroy any food residue that could be hosted in their crevices and hollows, with a view to a future study. For this cleaning and washing used soft-bristle brush, dental sores, brushes and running water.
The evidence was placed on a table, where sunlight is not strong impacts up to dry completely.
The next step in carrying out the typological study of each of the parts per site. This work began with the stone carved in a representative sample of each site, for which the methodology proposed by Jorge Febles in Manual for the study of stone tools of the aborigines of Cuba (1988).
As the stone by volume, for assessment took into account different aspects such as: quantities, qualities and sample classification, based on the point raised by Febles and Baena (1987).
pottery was treated quantitatively only with regard to the presence or absence of edges in the passages was assessed as well-so shallow-some typological characteristics, such as temper, texture, thickness, etc., according to the proposed ceramógrafo Rankin Alfredo Santander (1986).
Regarding the shell material, it was classified taxonomically as far as possible and those types of tools made from this material, according to Ramon Dacal Moure (1978).
food remains were identified and classified, which allowed to have a complete idea about the predominant economic activities in places where they appeared. To do it very useful to consult the osteoteca created by the Group Caonao (1986) and literature.
The results are expressed through tables and other aids.
.................. End of Part One ..................
NOTE: Starting next post we will assess the characteristics of each of the areas or archaeological sites, as well as the general particulars of their industries.
Copyright: James F.
Orlando Silva Álvarez García de la Paz
Until next:
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons .
email: aguilasdeanaga@gmail.com
