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Petroglyphs and the People Who Made Them
Bibliography: These are the books I have read (and have in my library) and am using as reference (and am always adding more)
for my upcoming book: Puerto Rican Petroglyphs and Those Who Made Them. Note the four authors on top the list: Fewkes, Rouse,
Alegria, and Siegel. These author's works are an absolute requirement for anyone studying petroglyphs, ancient Puerto Rico,
and the indigenous Indians. All Puerto Ricans owe them a great debt.
The Aborigines of Porto Rico and Neighboring Islands, 1907, Jesse Walter Fewkes. This is the bible of Puerto Rican Archeology.
All archaeologists quote Fewkes if they want to be taken seriously as to prove you at least read his book, which is not easy
to come by. This book is an extract from the 25th annual report of the Bureau of American Ethnology--an absolute requirement
to any library dedicated to ancient Puerto Rican races.
The Tainos, Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus, Irving Rouse. This book is the second requirement to
any library dedicated to the ancient Indians in the Caribbean. After Fewkes, Rouse is perhaps the most often quoted expert
on such. You can never go wrong quoting Fewkes and Rouse.
Ancient Borinquen, Archaeology and Ethnohistory, Peter E. Siegel. Peter starts the ball rolling on getting us up to date
in said area since Fewkes and Rouse wrote their classics. Another book that is required for your library.
Taino: Pre-Columbian Art and Culture from the Caribbean, Ricardo Alegria and Jose Arrom. As with his book below, Mr. Alegria
is considered a scholar of the highest magnitude, was responsible for the renovation of old San Juan and is known as the Father
of Modern Puerto Rican Archeology. He is credited with being a pioneer in the anthropolic studies of the Taino culture. He
created, among others, the Center of Popular Arts of the Puerto Rican Cultural Institute, and created the logo for the Institute
of Neurobiology in Puerto Rico. His predictions that the Taino blood line had not died out was later proven through DNA analysis
to be correct. His credits, honors, and achievements go on and on...see Wikapedia. If you want to see and learn about Pre-Columbian
art and culture, this book as his one below, are an absolute requirement. One of the few living Puerto Rican people who should
have a monument in his honor. To do this, tear down one of the Columbus statues (Columbus ran slaves) and put it there.
Ball Courts and Ceremonial Plazas in the West Indies (Yale University Publications in Anthropology), Ricardo E. Alegria.
His credits are above.
Zone 2, Caribbean Area and north-coastal South America, an essay by Jay B. Haviser and Matthias Streckler. Study of petroglyphs
in the Caribbean and South America.
An Account of the Antiquities of the Indians, Fray Ramóne Pané, by José Juan Arrom, translated by Susan C. Griswold. Susan
brings us translated testimony of the man who lived with the Indians on Hispaniola. However, Pané was mostly concerned with
religious myths and practices. No data on petroglyphs. Good data on names of those who were there living with the Indians
at the time as well as names of caciques.
Fernandez de Oviedo’s Chronicle of America, by Kathleen Ann Myers, Translation by Nina M. Scott. Oviedo wrote
about what he saw but mostly about what other people did. Kathleen analyses his writings and gives us her opinions.
Journal of the First Voyage of Columbus, translated by Clements R. Markham, American Journeys Collection, Document No.
AJ-062, available on line. All Columbus's Journals are lost to time. However, several copies or partial copies were made by
different people. This is one.
Letter from Columbus to Luis de Santangel, American Journeys Collection, Document No. AJ-062, available on line. This
letter is significant as it was Luis, not Queen Isabella, that was directly responsible for obtaining the finances to make
the voyage of discovery. Luis put up his own money. Thus Columbus's first written letter went to him describing the first
voyage, not Queen Isabella.
Select Letters of Christopher Columbus with other Original Documents Relating to His Four Voyages to the New World, translated
and edited by R.H. Major of the British Museum. Book also has the untranslated text for your reference.
Among the Indians of Guiana, Everard F. IM. Thurn, 1883. Evard Thurn was an adventurer who roamed Guiana in the 1800's.
This ancient book describes all the flora and fauna in ancient Guiana as well as the Indians. It goes into great detail--such
as the plants that made certain poisons. Most importantly, it illustrates a true-cannibal tribe that has the same manner of
female leg binding as as the island caribs (when Columbus came over) perhaps showing us an ancient relative down to the name
of the tribe that may have made the jump to the islands. He also goes into a study of the petroglyphs that were in his locale
at the time.
The Guiana Travels of Robert Schomburgk 1835-1844, edited by Peter Riviere. The Hakluyt Society. An official traveler
was Robert Schomburgk—exploring British Guiana on behalf of England's Royal Geographic Society between 1835 and
1844. Schomburgk put up marker posts defining the countries boundaries—immediately followed by the Spaniards tearing
them down. Schomburgk kept a journal detailing all he saw including the Spanish atrocities that were still going on at the
time.
Wanderings in South America, Charles Watterton. A man of independent means with wanderlust in his heart. Watterton was
a lucky man--he had parents that were a young child's dream. They felt that “...some foreign travel would be good
for him.” His mother was very anxious that he “should see the world1”. He followed relatives
to Guiana and supervised the family's plantations along the Guiana coast from 1804 to 1812. During this time he gained a vast
amount of information about the local flora and fauna that he would put in his later books. In April of 1812, he set off
on his first journey and the rest is literary history. As a naturalist, he goes into great detail about all the plants, animals,
and birds in the jungle. Though useless for petroglyph hunters, the book makes very interesting reading down to the nonvenomous
snake Camoudi that can get to 40 ft in length and can readily kill full grown bulls by constriction. And let's not forget
him riding a wild cayman. It holds interesting side-stories as when night after night he tried to get vampire bats to suck
his blood just so he would know how it felt—all to no avail. He wandered about the the United States, Canada, and
the Antilles in the years 1812, 1816, 1820, and 1824 with a book of his travels being printed in 1825.
A Forgotten Medical Worthy Dr. Diego Alvarez Chanca…, A.M. Fernandez de Ybarra, A.B., M.D., available on line.
Accolades of Dr. Chanca who came on Columbus's second voyage--see below.
Letter of Dr. Chanca on the Second Voyage of Columbus, American Journeys Collection, Document No. AJ065, Wisconsin Historical
Society, available on line. Dr. Chanca was one of the physicians to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand. He was with Columbus
on his second voyage and became the first man of science to write on the new world. His observations put into a “Letter
to Seville” are extremely important as an unbiased observer. He goes into great detail about the Tainos and Caribs.
Selections from Peter Martyr, Geoffrey Eatough editor and translator. Living in the time of Columbus, Peter Martyr, a
man of many titles and the official historian, was the proverbial man for all seasons. He wrote and wrote and wrote with the
official blessing of the court. As with De Las Casas, Martyr had access to all documents albeit by official means. He wrote
in books called Decades. His first group is called the Ocean Decade and is what we are concerned with in reference to the
new world discoveries. Thus his writings of what happened where and to who are a valuable resource to anyone interested in
Caribbean history.
The Voyage of John de Verazzano along the Coast of North America, from Carolina to Newfoundland, A.D. 1524, American Journeys
Collection, Document No. AJ094, Wisconsin Historical Society, available on line. What is interesting in his accounts are the
black Indians on shore in the Carolinas. One in particular saves the life of one of his men. Thus we have verification of
black Indians in America in 1524. This is before any known settlements or expeditions. Escaped black slaves will come later.
Picture-Writing of The American Indians V1, Garrick Mallery. A list of petroglyphs found in the Americas.
The History of Puerto Rico, R.A.Van Middeldyk Having access to all the library documents, Middeldyk put together a complete
history of who did what in Puerto Rico.
Understanding the Petroglyphs, Ken Wild, available on line A short paper concerning the petroglyphs in St. John. Ken Wild
has the ability to think outside the box and give new incites as to the possible purpose of petroglyphs. He, as myself, has
learned that to properly study petroglyphs, you have to go to the site and sit there—hours on end. Perhaps days,
as to see the glyphs in the proper light and perspective. You have to see what the glyph sees--and perhaps what it reflects.
Languages of the Pre-Columbian Antilles, Jullian Granberry & Gary S. Vescelius. This book is exactly what it says.
If you are interested in tracing the languages throughout the Caribbean, you have to have this book.
Cave of the Jagua, The Mythological World of the Tainos, Antonio M. Stevens-Arroyo One has to know the mythological of
the Tainos as to see if they or their ancestors were the ones who created the petroglyphs.
A short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Bartolomệ De Las Casas, translated by Nigel Griffen, Penguin
Books. De Las Casas chronicled the torture of the Tainos and put his life and professional career on the line to save them.
A true hero. Not a book for the squeamish. Basically a book on how despicable the human race can be.
The Archaeology of the Caribbean, Samual M. Wilson. A good book for exactly what the title says as is his other book below.
Peopling the Antilles, Samual M. Wilson, Article in Archaeology, Sept./Oct. 1990
The Virgin Islands as an Historical Frontier between the Tainos and the Caribs, Aflredo E. Figueredo (on line).
A Radiocarbon date of 380 + or -60BP for a Taino Site, Cueva Negra, Isla de Mona, Puerto Rico, Edward D. Frank, available
on line.
The Earliest Inhabitants, The Dynamics of the Jamaican Taino, Lesley-Gail Atkinson.
They Came Before Columbus, the African Presence in Ancient America, Ivan Van Sertima. An absolute requirement for those
studying in said area.
Columbus Was Last, From 200,000 BC to 1492 A Heretical History of Who Was First, Patrick Huyghe. Brings to life data that
most archaeologists ignore being afraid of loosing credibility.
America BC, Berry Fell An academic who was an expert in ancient languages. The founding father of documenting races and
their languages they left carved in rock--of those who were here before Columbus. A great book for learning how to translate
from one language's pictorials to another language. I had the privilege of talking to Dr. Fell, as well as Ms. Farley below,
before they died. Two very great people.
In Plain Site, Gloria Farley. Known as the Epigraphic Explorer, Ms. Farley logged ancient inscriptions and petroglyphs
around the area where she lived in Oklahoma--as well as other areas. She, I believe, was the first to pioneer latex impressions
of petroglyphs. This is a large hard-bound book that is currently available only through Heavener State Park (918-653-2241)
which she helped create as to save the giant runestone of the same name.
Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings, Evidence of Advanced Civilization in the Ice Age, Charles H. Hapgood. He features a lot
of old maps and the controversies around such. The problem with the maps is that, even though many are of full page size,
the printing may be too small to read as to find what you are looking for.
Taino Indian Myth and Practice, William F. Keegan
Network of Waterways Trace to Ancient Florida Culture, paper by Mark Derr published July 23, 2002. A network of waterways
created by an advanced race of Indians in ancient Florida. Available on line.
The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico, Bernal Diaz Del Castillo, Conquistador, translated by A.P.Maudslay.
Memoir of Hernando D'Escalante Fontaneda. The story of said person in his years living with the Calusa Indians and other
tribes of southern Florida. At the age of 13 he was one of many that were shipwrecked on the Florida coast. Only he escaped
being killed by the Indians and lived with them for 17 years before being rescued.
New Evidence: Columbus was of Marrano stock, Dr. Rivka Shpak Lissak. Available on line.
Heaven can wait, Robert Latona. Available on line.
Pre-Hispanic Cultures of the Insular Caribbean and Museums and Sites Associated with these Cultures, Presentation of the
Caribbean countries and legal protections.
Columbus's Outpost among the Tainos, Kathleen Deagan and Jose Maria Cruxent. Covering the archaeology of La Isabela—the
first Spanish settlement of the New World. The book covers what they found during the dig, including a kiln.
The Four Voyages of Columbus, edited by Cecil Jane. One of the best references on such.
Christopher Columbus, The four Voyages, Penguin Classics. Translated by J. M. Cohen. An excellent book for having a large
number of references in a single volume. This book and the one above, are the two excellent resources on the voyages.
The Story of the Bahamas, Paul Abury.
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