Archaeological census reveals human presence in Cuba 8,000-10,000 years ago

Archaeological census reveals human presence in Cuba 8,000-10,000 years ago
Published August 11, 2013
EFE

An archaeological census performed by the Anthropology Institute within
the Cuban Science, Technology and Environment Ministry has found that
the human presence on the island hypothetically dates from between 8,000
and 10,000 years ago, local media here reported on Sunday.

The project that has been under way in Cuba for the past two years
incorporates the research and experience of archaeologists, experts,
historians, institutions and hobbyists and the officials heading it, as
cited by the state-run Prensa Latina news agency, say it is expected to
wrap up in January 2014.

The research uses maps with precise coordinates on the municipality
level with the aim of providing a general idea about the aboriginal
archaeological situation in the country, and it also includes a series
of elements to allow the production of a more finished product: the
Aboriginal Archaeological Atlas of Cuba.

In compiling Cuba's human settlement history, the indigenous peoples are
catalogued as pre-agropottery (before the 3rd century B.C.E.),
proto-agricultural (2nd century B.C.E.) and agropottery (5th century
C.E.) to encompass their diverse sociocultural connections.

Archaeologists Jose Jimenez Santander, who is in charge of the census,
and the head of the archaeology department at the Cuban Institute of
Anthropology, Alfonso Cordova, said that so far more than 3,200
aboriginal archaeological sites have been located on the island.

Some of the sites were human dwelling places, as surmised by the
presence of food remains and hearths, along with other evidence of tools
and trash, all of which show that those sites were inhabited by ancient
communities for some time, the experts say.

"Others functioned as rest stops, since they are areas ... without
evidence of prolonged habitation made by ... mobile communities that
moved periodically but repeated their stays, as well as inhabited
caves," Jimenez Santander said.

He also said that there are signs of the use of caves for ceremonies,
burials, cave painting sites, shell workshops to make vessels and other
objects, as well as evidence of chipped flint, tools and assorted work
rubbish. EFE

Source: "Archaeological census reveals human presence in Cuba
8,000-10,000 years ago | Fox News Latino" -
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2013/08/11/archaeological-census-reveals-human-presence-in-cuba-8000-10000-years-ago/