archaeological reconnaissance of the Jumentos Cays

Keegan, W. F. and J. de Bry. 2015. Proceeding of the 25th International Congress for Caribbean Archeology, Edited by Laura Del Olmo. Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena, el Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe y la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Rio Piedras. © San Juan, Puerto Rico 2015

Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Jumentos Cays William F. Keegan ([email protected]) Florida Museum of Natural History John de Bry ([email protected]) Center for Historical Archaeology

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Abstract The Antiquities, Monuments, and Museums Corporation of the Bahamas government asked us to supervise a treasure hunt organized by the Caribbean Geographic Society of Grand Cayman. The main objective was to relocate a Spanish shipwreck and survivor’s camp in the Jumentos Cays, to which we appended a walkover survey for pre-Columbian archaeological sites. The terrestrial reconnaissance involved “meandering transect” walkover surveys by a team of five experienced individuals. The survey was conducted from April 29 to May 8, 2008, and was limited to the three cays where the survivor’s camp was thought to be located. We had the equipment for shovel tests, ground penetrating radar, and metal detectors, but time constraints prevented their use. We did not find their treasure, but we did locate evidence of six or seven small and short-lived prehistoric “sites” (or more correctly find spots and activity areas). Resumen Desde abril 29 a mayo 8, 2008, dirigimos un reconocimiento arqueológico de tres cayos en la cadena de pequeñas islas conocidas como los Cayos Jumentos o Ragged Island Range, Mancomunidad de las Bahamas, con un equipo de investigación reunidos por el Centro de Arqueología Histórica en conjunto con la Sociedad Geográfica del Caribe. Se identificaron un total de seis o siete pequeños y efímeros sitios de Lucaya. Los sitios se interpretan como campamentos de pesca o lugares de parada en viajes a Cuba. Un tiesto no local con decoración incisa lineal y de petrografía inusual indica una fuente cubana. Este descubrimiento es consistente con otras evidencias al uso temporal de pequeñas islas en el archipiélago Bahama.

Puerto Rico 2013 | 25 to Congreso Internacional de Arqueología del Caribe indice

W illi a m F. K e e g a n | J o h n

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Résumé Du 29 avril au 8 mai 2008, nous avons entreprit une prospection archéologique de trois petites îles (cays) connues du nom des îles Jumentos ou Ragged Island Range, qui font partie du Commonwealth des Bahamas, avec une équipe de chercheurs assemblée par le Center for Historical Archaeology, en collaboration avec la Caribbean Geographical Society. Une totalité de cinq ou six sites éphémères Lucayos ont été identifiés. Ces sites sont interprétés représenter des camps de pêcheurs faisant chemin vers Cuba. Un tesson de poterie qui n’est pas local, avec des incisions linéaires décoratives comportant une pétrographie peu commune suggère une source cubaine. Cette découverte est cohérente avec d’autres évidences d’utilisation temporaire d’îlots à travers l’archipel des Bahamas.

Introduction The Antiquities, Monuments, and Museums Corporation of the Bahamas government asked us to supervise a treasure hunt organized by the Caribbean Geographic Society of Grand Cayman. The main objective was to relocate a Spanish shipwreck and survivor’s camp in the Jumentos Cays, to which we appended a walkover survey for pre-Columbian archaeological sites. This was the first archaeological survey conducted on these cays. The terrestrial reconnaissance involved “meandering transect” walkover surveys by a team of five experienced individuals. The survey was conducted from April 29 to May 8, 2008, and was limited to the three cays where the survivor’s camp was thought to be located. We had the equipment for shovel tests, ground penetrating radar, and metal detectors, but time constraints prevented their use. We did not find their treasure, but we did locate evidence of six or seven small and short-lived prehistoric “sites” (or more correctly find spots and activity areas). The Jumentos Cays or Ragged Island Range is a chain of small cays oriented roughly north to south between The Bahamas and Cuba (Figure 1). They are approximately 100 km west of the large islands of the central Bahamas and about 150 km northeast of Cuba. This crescent-shaped chain measures over 177 km in length. There are 20 named cays, and numerous smaller cays and rocks, the largest and only permanently occupied of which is Ragged Island at the southernmost end of the chain. The cays are composed of lithified Pleistocene sand dunes. These fossil dune ridges reach a maximum elevation of 20 m. They tend to be steep sided along the west coasts, with low-lying Holocene deposits and sand beaches on the eastern shores. Mangrove swamps and salinas are common along the eastern shore behind the high ridges. There is very little soil, but there are potable water sources. The vegetation is dry tropical forest woodland, which is stunted by wind, salt spray, and the arid climate (see Figure 6).

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Water Cay Water Cay is about 5 km long and 300 m wide. On the beach at the channel that separates Water Cay from Little Water Cay we found a single Palmetto Ware sherd in association with punched conch (site WC-1). For those not familiar with Bahamian archaeology – Palmetto ware is the locally produced shell-tempered pottery, and a small round hole punched in the spire of a conch shell is the typical prehistoric method for extracting the meat. There were few of the other mollusks commonly found at Lucayan sites in the area. This narrow strip of sand backed by Whitelands vegetation grading into a dry salina is a very unlikely location for a site of any permanence. However, where the beach is cut back along the shore, a short distance from the sherd, there is a buried stratum with large chunks of charcoal. This may be a site, evidence of modern activity, or the sherd and conchs may have washed into this area from the larger site on the western end of the beach (site WC-2). On the western end of the beach the shoreline changes to exposed eolianite (Figure 3). A short distance to the south of this point there are two small sinkholes. The presence of a metal bucket attached to a length of rope indicates that they are still being used as a water source. On the beach that abuts this rocky point there is a more extensive scatter of prehistoric materials (site WC-2). The surface scatter covers about 40 by 15 m, and extends a short distance along the beach and onto the rocky point. We observed about a dozen Palmetto Ware sherds and one import sherd, which were collected for petrographic analysis. The range of mollusk species typically found at Lucayan sites were observed (including queen conch, West Indian top snail, tiger lucine, nerites, and chiton plates). There was also a piece of worked star coral. The dominant material at the site was firecracked rock, which occurs in association with darker, burned soil. Little Water Cay has a high ridge that runs along the west coast. Below the ridge to the east is an extensive salina that is contained by a narrow sand beach. Here we found two Palmetto ware sherds on the edge of the beach (site WC-3), associated with the typical assemblage of mollusks. The surface scatter is very light, and is concentrated in a small area.

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Flamingo Cay We surveyed the two long beaches on the west coast of Flamingo Cay (Figure 4). These very narrow beaches are fine white sand backed by a large inland pond. One tiny piece of what may be Palmetto ware was found, although it was so small that I am not certain that it is even pottery (site FC-1). There is a very light scatter of marine mollusks, but it is possible that these reflect a natural deposit. A substantial number of Lobatus (formerly Strombus) gigas were observed, including some that were punched, but punched conchs were found on virtually every beach we visited.



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Raccoon Cay On Raccoon Cay we surveyed to the north and south of our mooring (Figure 5). At Spanish Well Bay (to the north) we began at the freshwater blue hole reported in the Yachtsman’s guide. On the beach to the south of the blue hole and large limestone block well (Figure 6) we found an isolated olive shell pendant (Oliva sayana) with the characteristic slit near the distal end (site RC-1). Nothing else was found in the immediate vicinity of the pendant. To the south we encountered a tidal creek that once was used for salt production (probably during the Loyalist period). At the north end of the tidal creek there is a substantial scatter of cultural materials (site RC-2). Palmetto Ware and imported pottery was observed in a light surface scatter that included the usual marine mollusks. There is also a light scatter of firecracked rock. The subsoil is gray due to organic enrichment and is covered by a dusting of fine, white beach sand. The vegetation is Palmetto woodland. The front of the site is on a low beach ridge that is being eroded into the sea. The back of the site is on the edge of the tidal creek with a fringe of buttonwoods. On the beach at House Bay near Pimlico Cay we found the largest scatter of Lucayan materials including Palmetto Ware and import sherds (site RC-3). One import has a parallel, fine-line incised design that is typical of Meillacoid pottery from Cuba. There is the usual assortment of mollusks associated with Lucayan sites. The soil is darker in color due to anthropogenic enrichment, and there is a light scatter of firecracked rock. The surface scatter is about 60 m long parallel to the beach, and the dune is about 20 m wide with a swale behind it. A total of 10 sherds from four different pottery vessels and one imported stone flake were collected for further analysis.

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Artifacts A total of 13 imported potsherds and one olive shell pendant were collected from 3 sites (Table 1). The potsherds were collected for petrographic analysis to determine whether their source could be attributed to Cuba. The analysis revealed that sherds came from four different bowls and one bottle. The incised import sherd from Raccoon Cay has characteristics that suggest it is from a vessel manufactured in Cuba (cf. Guarch Delmonte 1972). Ann Cordell (Director of the Ceramic Technology Laboratory, FLMNH) conducted petrographic analysis of 14 sherds from four vessels and one bottle recovered from sites on Water Cay and Raccoon Cay (Table 2). Cordell previously analyzed imported ceramics recovered from sites in the southern Bahamas with reference samples from sites in Hispaniola (Cordell 1998). The present comparison did not include reference samples from Cuba.



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Table 1. Characteristics of the artifacts collected during the survey.

Cordell found that 3 of the imports from sites in the Jumentos Cays were within the mineralogical range to those from Hispaniola so this could not be eliminated as a possible source. Three sherds from Raccoon Cay, including the incised sherd had tempers that were not observed in the Hispaniola reference collection. Two of these sherds, including the incised sherd, were similar to an import found on Great Inagua, the closest Bahamian island to Cuba. The third sherd did not match any from Hispaniola and was slightly different from the other two. Clearly, we need to expand the petrographic database to include sherds from sites across the region. For the present, all we can suggest is that the Jumentos sherds may have come from a Cuban source. This evidence lends support to Berman and Gnivecki’s (1995) conclusion that the Bahamas were first colonized from northern Cuba.

Sample# Island

Site

Context

Type

Type

preliminary Paste

import

volcanic

within range

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Similarity to Hispaniola Samples

1

Water Cay

2

surface

plain

2

Raccoon Cay

3

surface

incised import

mix mafic/felsic/ volcanic

not observed*

3

Raccoon Cay

3

surface

plain

import

mix felsic/mafic/ volcanic

not observed*

4

Raccoon Cay

3

surface

plain

not spec

volcanic

within range

5

Raccoon Cay

3

surface

plain

not spec

very fine felsic & volcanic sands, coarser volcanics

not observed

6

Raccoon Cay

3

surface

plain

not spec

volcanic

within range

Table 2. Petrographic analysis results (courtesy of Ann Cordell). Cordell noted that samples 2 and 3 are similar to an import sherd found at site GI-2, Great Inagua, Bahamas (http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/ Caribarch/inagua.htm).



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Additional evidence for continuing contacts between The Bahamas and Cuba comes from Columbus’s first voyage. When Columbus reached the third island he visited he sought directions to the island or city where the gold is. The Lucayans at the northern end of Long Island directed him to round the island to the north and then sail south to reach the island of Cuba (Dunn and Kelley 1989). Had he followed their directions his ships would have run aground on the shallows between Long Island and Exuma.

Conclusions The discovery of sites on the three cays that we visited suggests that many of the Jumentos Cays were visited and widely used, especially for the exploitation of marine resources. The natural environment of these cays lacks most of the characteristics that would attract permanent Lucayan settlement. The cays offer maximum exposure to the elements and would be especially dangerous during episodes of severe weather. There is little arable land, and few trees that could be used for building materials. Potable water is available, but in limited quantities. All of the sites were very small and probably ephemeral. They likely were used as fishing camps, and as waypoints on voyages to and from Cuba (Keegan 1992). These sites are of more general significance because they contribute to the emerging evidence for a high degree of mobility among the Lucayans of the Bahama archipelago. Virtually every small island investigated has evidence for Lucayan visitation, if not settlement. And even apparently large sites, like the 400-meter long Clifton site on New Providence, reveal evidence for multiple short-term occupations (Vernon 2007). This high degree of mobility and seafaring has important implications for the interpretation of Lucayan history, including whence the people who colonized the Bahamas came from, and to where products such as cotton, parrots, salt, and salt fish were exported.

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Acknowledgements This project was made possible thanks to the Caribbean Geographic Society’s (CGS) participation and generous funding. The project would not have been possible without the support of Adrian Briggs. The project was a joint venture of the Caribbean Geographic Society (CGS, Grand Cayman), the Center for Historical Archaeology (Melbourne, FL), and the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. The research was conducted under a permit issued to William F. Keegan by the Antiquities, Monuments, and Museums Corporation (AMMC), Nassau, The Bahamas. We appreciate Dr. Keith Tinker’s (Director, AMMC) assistance in this regard. The project personnel were Timothy Nielsen (Project Coordinator, CGS), Rick Horgan, (underwater magnetometer survey, Sonographics, Inc.), Christopher “Chip” Chilton, Remote Sensing and Ground Penetrating Radar, UF), Layne Hedrick (archaeologist and mapping, Texas A & M University), Justin Symington (field assistant, Island School, Eleuthera), Chris Briggs, Captain of Cayman Time, CGS), Brett Barrell (metal detector Survey, CGS), Brian “Mongo” Marich (magnetometer Survey and Safety Officer), Charles E-Banks (crew, CGS), Deis E-Banks (crew, CGS), Curtis White (crew, CGS), Wes Van de Bol (crew, CGS). Their assistance is greatly appreciated. Michel Paret (Associación de Investigación Marítima de las Indias, Seville, Spain) translated and interpreted documents related to a Spanish shipwreck and survivor’s camp, which was the impetus for this project. Ann Cordell (Director, Ceramic Technology Laboratory, Florida Museum of Natural History) conducted the petrographic analysis of potsherds recovered during the Survey. Nicole Vernon created a new pdf site file for The Bahama, and Jim Miller provided topographic maps for the study area. Their contributions are greatly appreciated. Finally, we are especially grateful to everyone at the Winter Haven Hotel, Flying Fish Marina, and Rowdy Boys Bar and Grill for their hospitality while we were staying in Clarence Town, Long Island.

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References Cited Berman, M. J., and Gnivecki, P. L. (1995). The colonization of the Bahama Archipelago: A reappraisal. World Archaeology 26: 421-441. Cordell, A. (1998). Possible Manufacturing Origins of Ostionoid Pottery from the Bahamas. Paper presented at the 55th annual meeting of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference, Greenville, South Carolina. Dunn, O. and J. E. Kelley, Jr., Eds. (1989). The Diario of Christopher Columbus’s First Voyage to America 1492-1493 (abstracted by Bartholome de las Casas). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Guarch Delmonte, G. M. (1972). La Ceramica Taina de Cuba. Serie Arqueologica No. 2. Havana, Cuba. Keegan, W. F. (1992). The People Who Discovered Columbus. University Press of Florida, Gainesville. Vernon, N. (2007). Investigations at the Clifton Site: A Specialized Lucayan Site on New Providence Island, The Bahamas. MA thesis, University of Florida, Gainesville.

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Figure 1. Map of the Bahamas (courtesy of Joshua M. Torres).

Figure 2. Water Cay and Little Water Cay (red and blue lines are our GPS track; the sites are located at the north end of the island) (courtesy of Layne Hedrick).



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196 Figure 3. Water Cay looking north. The sites are located near the beach at the north end of the island.

Figure 4. Flamingo Cay (red line indicates our survey transect) (Courtesy of Layne Hedrick).



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197 Figure 5. Two survey transects on Raccoon Cay (red and blue lines). A fairly substantial site and an isolated olive shell pendant were found in the south (courtesy of Layne Hedrick).

Figure 6. Walls near beach on Raccoon Cay. The vegetation typifies that found on the sites.



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Figure 7. Incised sherd from RC-3. Typical Meillacoid linear-incised design from Cuba.
