Analyze Petroglyphs and an Amerindian Swallow Stick

In this activity, students will use the questions from an Analyze Artifact worksheet to meet two digitized artifacts from Amerindian settlements. They will use investigative and critical thinking skills to examine the digitized artifacts to better understand the culture of the first people of the Virgin Islands.

Activity Type
Artifact
Historical Period:
Amerindian Settlements
Keywords
Archeology
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Artifacts
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St. John
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St. Thomas

About

The various groups of people who first inhabited the Virgin Islands had no written system of communication. However, we can learn directly about their lifeways and beliefs through the surviving elements of their material culture, which include settlement sites, pottery, stoneware, food remains and various kinds of carvings, all of which comprise the archaeological record of the past.

Petroglyphs: Expressive rock carvings, such as those found at Reef Bay, St. John, and documented in this 1920s photograph, are found at several locations throughout the Virgin Islands. They reveal connections to other New World cultures and societies.

Swallow Stick: Excavated at Magens Bay in 1917 by Captain Theodore De Booy, this unique ceremonial object has been attributed to the Taino people who are believed to have inhabited St. Thomas at the time of Columbus. Measuring 8 and 1/4 inches in length, it was fabricated from the rib of a manatee or sea cow, with seashells for eyes, and mother of pearl inlays for teeth. Used to purify priests by inducing vomiting, this tool speaks to us of the belief systems and craftsmanship of the original inhabitants.

Primary Sources in this Activity

Item:
Petroglyphs (Rock Carvings), Reef Bay, St. John
Author / Artist:
Unknown
Source:
Danish National Museum
View Primary Source
Item:
Swallow Stick, Recovered at Magens Bay, St. Thomas
Author / Artist:
Unknown
Source:
Danish National Museum
View Primary Source

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Before beginning this activity, help students to understand what a primary source is, have students provide examples of primary sources, help them with examples if needed, and discuss the difference between primary sources and secondary sources.

Ask students if they know the definition of artifact and Amerindian. Help them to understand the terms as needed, and to understand that Amerindian artifacts are found by archeologist in the Virgin Islands many years after they were original made and buried by time and soil.

Load the photographs of the artifacts onto an interactive smart board and have students make observations together. If there is not a smart board, students can work in small groups at computers.

Also load the Analyze Artifact worksheet on the smart board or on computers so that you can lead students through discussing their answers to questions on the worksheet.

Have students review the images of the artifacts critically. Remind them that the captions and descriptions are part of the resource when using digitized materials from archives and museums. Once students have critically examined each image, have them complete the worksheet questions.

Analyze the Primary Source

You may load the Analyze an Artifact worksheet on the smart board or on computers so that you can lead students through answering the questions, print the worksheet and distribute to your students, or adapt the questions from the worksheet to create your own. Primary Source Analysis Worksheets

Have students complete the analyze worksheet individually, in small groups, or as a class. Help students as needed to complete the worksheets. Review their answers and the observations as a class.

Class Discussion

Archeologists often investigate sites and record their findings to better understand the past. What is an archaeologist? Archaeologists study the objects, including artwork, left behind by ethnic groups that have no known written records. How is an archaeologist different and how are they like a historian?

In this activity students will use the source set provided and take on the role of an archeologist to explore the past.

Petroglyph
What is a Petroglyph? Who left the petroglyphs? When were the Petroglyphs created? What was the purpose of the petroglyphs? Why were they placed in that location?

Swallow Stick
Who used the Swallow Stick? When was this Swallow Stick used? What was the purpose of the Swallow Stick? Why did they use a Swallow Stick?

Project Ideas

Make Connections: Can you think of other items that are used today for ceremonies? What is one observation you have about the people that drew the petroglyphs and used the swallow stick? Do these people remind you or share similarities with people you have learned about?

Related Books & Resources

Title:
"The Amerindians & their Legacy in the Virgin Islands"
Author:
Aimery Caron
Level:
High School