Canashito, also known as Canachito, Cornachiti or Carachito, is located inland on a
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
outcrop
An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth and other terrestrial planets.
Features
Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most p ...
, near
Hooiberg
( Dutch: /ˈɦojbɛrx/ ()) is a distinctively shaped, conical hill located at the heart of the island of Aruba. This geological formation is a prominent and recognizable landmark that has long captured the attention of locals and visitors alik ...
, in
Santa Cruz,
Aruba
Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Peninsula, Paraguaná and northwest of Curaçao. In 19 ...
, measuring in
elevation
The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...
above sea level. This toponym Canashito is thought to have possible
Amerindian
In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...
origin. This limestone outcrop is of significance as a notable Archaic period site.
History
State plantation
Around 1800, Canashito emerged as a small plantation following the migration of colonists from
Curaçao
Curaçao, officially the Country of Curaçao, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in the southern Caribbean Sea (specifically the Dutch Caribbean region), about north of Venezuela.
Curaçao includ ...
, which began in 1754. In 1836, the new administrator, believed that cultivating crops would have a positive influence on maritime traffic and trade. Van Raders initiated model plantations in the Leeward islands, hoping that others would follow suit, and Aruba was included in these experiments.
Cochineal
The cochineal ( , ; ''Dactylopius coccus'') is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessility (motility), sessile parasitism, parasite native to tropical and subtropical Sout ...
and
aloe
''Aloe'' (; also written ''Aloë'') is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering plant, flowering succulent plant, succulent plants.WFO (2022): Aloe L. Published on the Internet;http://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-4000001341. Acc ...
were cultivated at this small plantation, including the ''Socotoro'' plantation in
Oranjestad at that time, but faced challenges marked by successive crop failures attributed to drought. In 1848, under the administration of I.J.M. Elsevier Jr., the experiment was resumed, and these plantations were revitalized to provide employment for the impoverished colonists. This decision coincided with the realization that the conclusion of slavery had also commenced in Dutch colonies. The results, however, were once again disappointing, leading to the discontinuation in 1851.
Parish
In 1860,
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated to "Ps","Pr", "Pstr.", "Ptr." or "Psa" (both singular), or "Ps" (plural)) is the leader of a Christianity, Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutherani ...
Nicolaas A. Kuiperi established a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
church in Canashito.
The villagers from
Savaneta
Savaneta is a town and region in southeastern Aruba. Until 1797, it was the island's capital city. It is home to the island's oldest surviving home, a 150-year-old '' cas di torto'', or mud hut. The Savaneta region has an estimated area of 27.76 ...
relied on Catholic pastoral care from
Santa Cruz. Between 1858 and 1871, Kuiperi attempted to halt the advance of the Catholic mission in the "districts". As recorded in the baptismal records of the Protestant Community, Kuiperi baptized children whose parents who belonged to the Savanetero's. On 17 February 1879, during the conflict between
Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
and Protestants, the church at Canashito was set on fire. Ten years later, the church fell into disrepair, and the decision to not rebuild the church was based on the fact that the Protestant Community didn't own the property it was built on. Resulting, in the construction of the in 1899.
Following Kuiperi's departure, Savaneta remained deprived of Protestant care, and gradually, most Protestant families converted to Catholicism.
On the property, remnants of the church's foundations can still be found, away, there is a cemetery. Not much remains of the twelve cellars; it has transformed more into an untamed wilderness. The interior walls of the house at Canashito 18 are a section of the wall of the Protestant church.
Bioarchaeology
On the slope leading to the
abri entrance, archeologists uncovered remnants of shell food, indicating past human activity in the area. Additionally, under the abri, five human burials were discovered. In terms of
human variability
Human variability, or human variation, is the range of possible values for any characteristic, human biology, physical or psychology, mental, of human, human beings.
Frequently debated areas of variability include cognitive ability, personality, ...
, one of the individuals discovered was not native to Aruba. This person had followed a distinctly different diet compared to the other individuals, all of whom were Aruban. This finding suggests that migration and cultural exchange were integral components of cultural practices among these archaic Indians from an early period.
Starch grain analyses from Archaic Age sites in Aruba, including
Malmok
Malmok, situated in the Noord region of Aruba
Aruba, officially the Country of Aruba, is a constituent island country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in the southern Caribbean Sea north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná Penin ...
, indicated the presence of
maize
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...
,
cocoyam
Cocoyam is a common name for more than one tropical root crop and vegetable crop belonging to the Arum family (also known as Aroids and by the family name ''Araceae'') and may refer to:
* Taro (''Colocasia esculenta'') – old cocoyam
* Mala ...
,
manioc
''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although ...
,
marunguey
''Zamia portoricensis'', also known in Puerto Rican Spanish as marunguey, is a species of plant in the family Zamiaceae. It is endemic to the Susúa State Forest region of western Puerto Rico
; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealt ...
, and
sweet potato
The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant in the morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its sizeable, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable, which is a staple food in parts of ...
in Aruban samples.
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...
of one of the skeletons yielded a date corresponding to the period of 1960 ±65
BP, or
cal Cal or CAL may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty
* "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov
* ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...
.
AD 83-394, providing insights into the historical timeline of human activity at the Canashito site. The findings at this archaeological site contribute to the understanding of the cultural and historical significance of the region during the Archaic Age.
Sources
*
*
*
References
{{Reflist
Limestone formations of Aruba
Quarries
Prehistoric sites in Aruba
Plantations