More hidden treasures discovered at Argyle International Airport site

The proposed site of the Argyle International Airport continues to unearth hidden treasures from this nation’s past.{{more}}

The latest team of archaeologists to work on the site has uncovered more artifacts, including a ceremonial bowl, estimated to be well over 1, 000 years old.

Archaeologist Jode Mackay, at a press conference last Thursday, February 3, noted that the discovery was rare.

He explained that the age-old artifact was discovered in a grave and may have been used as an offering to the dead.

The ceremonial bowl was discovered in pieces and, according to Mackay, took six painstaking hours to piece together, like a jigsaw puzzle.

He marveled at the fact that the team was lucky to discover all the pieces of the artifact.

“I have been an archaeologist for 10 years and this is the first time that I have been able to unearth an entire piece,” Mackay said.

The latest expedition also revealed more information on previous civilizations that inhabited this country, such as burial sites, weaponry, body decoration, articles for personal adornment, diet of the ancient people and burial practices.

Chairperson of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust Kathy Martin told SEARCHLIGHT that while previous excavations would have been taken from the usual two-by-one metre open pit, this is the first time that the archaeologists would have had access to the entire site.

The full size of the site was explored, Martin explained.

But even as numerous pieces of prehistoric artifacts have been discovered at the Argyle site, Martin said that she was aware of the fact that the day will come when excavation work will no longer be allowed to continue.

“I am glad that we did have the opportunity to retrieve the information,” Martin said, adding that sites in other areas around the boundaries of the airport will be preserved for further excavation.

This she cited as being crucial, particularly as the recent discoveries have raised probable questions, including probability that the prehistoric people that once lived on these shores were not from one civilization. She said evidence is pointing that Amerindian people with different lifestyles settled here periodically.

“We are yet to separate out a lot of that; we are only seeing slight pointers,” Martin explained.

This is the third expedition done by volunteers of the SVG Public Archaeology Programme, which started here a few years ago, following talks with the National Trust on the country’s rich archaeological heritage. (DD)