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Pan American Institute of Geography and History is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve
and extend access to B.B.A.A. Boletn Bibliogrfico de Antropologa Americana
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boletn bibliogrfico de antropologa americana
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INFORMACIN GENERAL - GENERAL INFORMATION
Excavaciones en Cubagua
Cubagua es una isla situada en el extremo oriental de Venezuela, entre la tierra
firme y la Isla de Margarita. En Cubagua existi la primera ciudad venezolana
denominada Nueva Cdiz.
Hasta 1950 se haba considerado, debido a las versiones de Juan de Castellanos
en sus "Elegas de Varones Ilustres de Indias", que Nueva Cdiz haba desapare-
cido, a fines de la primera mitad del siglo XVT, bajo las aguas del mar. En 1950,
el doctor Jess Mata de Gregorio, psiquiatra aficionado a la arqueologa, realiz
un viaje en el cual encontr, segn sus noticias al regresar a Caracas, restos de las
antiguas calles de Cubagua. Esto origin numerosas discusiones en peridicos y
revistas, pues surgieron dos bandos: El de quienes seguan la vieja tradicin y el
de los que pensaban que pudiesen existir en realidad restos de la isla de Cubana.
Para realizar una exploracin cientfica fue comisionado un equipo por el Rector
de la Universidad Central, compuesto por el Profesor Miguel Acosta Saignes, el
Dr. Mata de Gregorio y el historiador J. A. de Armas Chitty.
El dictamen presentado al Rector estableci que efectivamente existan en
Cubagua las plantas de la antigua ciudad de Nueva Cdiz y Acosta Saignes anun-
ci en una conferencia los hallazgos, mostrando material extrado de los cimientos
de las casas.
Posteriormente, en 1954, el Director del Museo de Ciencias Naturales, J. M.
Cruxent, fue comisionado por el Ministerio de Educacin, para continuar los trabajos
en la isla y poner a descubierto los muros de los cimientos. Cruxent ha trabajado
durante un ao y ha encontrado diversos elementos de importancia para la recons-
truccin de la vida de la isla, durante la primera mitad del siglo XVI. Ha anun-
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boletn bibliografico de antropologia americana
ciado Cruxent, adems, haber hallado restos de una vieja cultura indgena, acerca
de lo cual no ha publicado todava materiales.
Thank you very much for your kind letter of November 11th. I am delighted,
as always, to contribute to and participate in the Boletn Bibliogrfico.
The following statement is a resume of my activities in anthropology over the
past year.
From February to May, Dr. Gordon R. Willey, Peabody Museum, Harvard
university, continued archaeological research in the Belize Valley of British Hon-
duras. He was accompanied by three graduate student assistants William Bullard,
John Glass, and Philip Orcutt.
The objective of the Belize Valley survey is the determination of Maya settle-
ment patterns and the implications of these patterns in a study of prehistoric
agriculture. The 1955 season was the third, and a final season is anticipated in 1956.
To date, operations have included the mapping and test excavation of a small
site near El Cayo, known as the Melhado Site. It consists of 12 small house mounds
and a small pyramidal structure. Ceramics range from Mamon to Tepeu. A report
on this site has been prepared and will be published in the journal American
Antiquity.
The major part of the project has been concentrated upon the Barton Ramie
siete, three miles down stream from Baking Pot and about ten miles from El Cayo.
The Barton Ramie group is located in a flood plain pocket of Belize River. A
total of 250 mounds has been mapped in this site unit. Most of these are small domi-
ciliary structures, either single units, or plazuela type groups. There is one pyramidal
mound in the site which appears to be a modest sized ceremonial center. Excava-
tions have been made in 40 of these mounds and these tests reveal occupation rang-
ing from Mamon to Tepeu. No definite signs of post-Classic occupation have been
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