Caona and Guanín. How gold became part of our culture
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
It is known that the human groups that populated the Antillean arc did not master the casting techniques necessary to produce pieces or alloys with gold, since they were societies that were passing through the Stone Age. There is also no archaeological data on the existence of primary furnaces where such a process could be carried out, so it is inferred that the possible origin of guanin and some very simple pieces seen among the island tainos, have been obtained from the simple processing of minerals. natives of their environment, and the most elaborate ones, from contact with groups of continental societies, who did know the rudiments of metal work. National investigations that relate different sciences such as the present one are not frequent. The compilation and analysis of partial results of interdisciplinary studies developed by their authors, publications in specialized journals and data from other authors provide a more holistic vision of geological research and the archaeological record related to the topic of gold, which intentionally blurs the borders between the natural and exact sciences and the social and humanistic sciences. It is concluded that in Cuba there are spatial and geological relationships between the presence of minerals such as gold, guanin (copper gold), native copper and other metals with the regions where there were indigenous population settlements in which these metals have been found with the rocks and sediments from the Northern Ophiolitic Association.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Those authors who have publications with this journal accept the following terms of the License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0):
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
The journal is not responsible for the opinions and concepts expressed in the works, they are the sole responsibility of the authors. The Editor, with the assistance of the Editorial Committee, reserves the right to suggest or request advisable or necessary modifications. They are accepted to publish original scientific papers, research results of interest that have not been published or sent to another journal for the same purpose.
The mention of trademarks of equipment, instruments or specific materials is for identification purposes, and there is no promotional commitment in relation to them, neither by the authors nor by the publisher.
How to Cite
References
Díaz Martínez, A. R.; Vila-Sánchez, J. A.; Proenza, J. C.; Melgarejo (2003): Morfología, textura y composición de partículas de oro asociadas a depósitos de placeres en el NE de Cuba: un debate en torno a su origen. V Congreso de Geología y Minería de Yacimientos Minerales Sólidos, Geoquímica, Mineralogía y Petrología YMGMP. 23. MEMORIAS GEOMIN 2003, LA HABANA, 24-28 de marzo. ISBN 959-7117-11-8 YMGMP- 157.
López Kramer, J. M. (1988): (9)Composición sustancial y asociaciones mineralógicas de los yacimientos auríferos hidrotermales de Cuba. Tesis para la obtención del grado científico de Dr. C. Geólogo-Mineralógicas. (En ruso). Instituto de Geología de los Yacimientos Minerales, Minera, Petrografía y Geoquímica. IGEM. ACC. URSS.
López Kramer, J. L; Pozniaikin, V. V; Morales, A. y otros (1990): Informe 401-09. Evaluación pronóstico de la mineralización aurífera de Cuba, para el mapa metalogénico pronóstico, a escala 1:500 000. Instituto de Geología y Paleontología (IGP), Ministerio de la Industria Básica, La Habana. Inédito. Archivo del IGP.
López Kramer, J. M.; Rodríguez Romero, M.; Capote Marrero, C.; Alonso, J. A.; González Castellanos, D. (2017): “Proyección estratégica de las investigaciones geológicas para oro en el archipiélago cubano”. Proyecto I + D (613640). Informe final. Archivo IGP.
López Kramer, J. M. (2021): Los placeres auríferos, otra fuente de oro exógeno en el archipiélago cubano. Geoinformativa. 13. (1). 53-63.
Morales, A. R.; Rodríguez, R.; Cañete, D.; López Kramer, J. M. (1990): Informe tema 401-09, capítulo V. Fundamentación del pronóstico de los placeres de oro en Cuba a escala 1: 500 000. Archivo Técnico IGP.
Oliver, J. R. (2000): Gold Symbolism among Caribbean Chiefdoms. Of Feathers, Cibas, and Guanin Power among Taino Elites. In: Precolumbian Gold. Technology, Style and Iconogrphy. editado por Colin McEwan. pp. 196 - 219. Published for The Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Press. London.
Rivet, P. y Arsandoux, H. (1946): La Metallurgie en Amerique Precolombienne. Musée del’Homme.
Siegel, P. E. y Severin, K. P. (1993): The First Documented Prehistoric Gold - copper Alloy Artefact from the West Indies. Journal of Archeological Science 20. 67-79.
Valcárcel, R. R; Martinón Torres, M. y Cooper, J. (2007): Oro, guanines y latón. Metales en contextos aborígenes de Cuba. El Caribe Arqueológico. 10. 116-131.
Vega, B. (1987): Los metales y los aborígenes de La Hispaniola. En Santos, Shamanes y Zemíes. Pp. 31-56. Fundación Cultural Dominicana, Santo Domingo.