Technolgy in The Kalinagos,Taino and Mayan Cultures

Technology

Taino

Taino had very simple life styles but they had some technological advances. Some examples are Hut building, Fishing and Pottery.

Hut building – there were larger huts built with a center pole, which gave extra support to the roof. It was considered important for resisting heavy gales. It had no windows and doors. Wooden posts were placed firmly in the ground to form a circle about five paces apart and laced together with springy branches and grass. Transverse beams were tied on top of the posts, and a pole placed in the center of the structure. The center pole and the transverse beams were then connected with thin poles, and these were covered with grass or palm leaves to form a conical roof.

Fishing- Arawaks used nets, lines with hooks, a bone or turtle shell and harpoons to capture fish. In Cuba artificial pools were created to keep excess fish until they were needed .The Arawaks used the sucking fish (Remora).

Pottery- this was made from the local red, brown and gray clays. Pots were not glazed but decorated with markings different for each village. They were made in shapes of frogs, birds or heads with wide eyes and large ears for handles.

Basketwork cylinders – These were made to extract the poisonous juice of cassava. Cassava was the Arawaks main food, they made cassava cakes, pepperpot with cassava and a sauce called cassareep.

Kalinago

They painted their bodies to protect against the heat and insect bites made from vegetable dye and oil.

Fishing arrows and Spears were tipped with shell and bone and battle arrows were tipped with fire and poison.

Boat Building- Caribs’ canoes might have been up to 6 metres long. It was made out of tree trunks. The trunk was charred then hollowed with stone axes and left to season, after which it was buried in moist sand. Bars were placed across the opening to the force out the sides and it was left in place until wood had dried and hardened. Then triangular boards were wedged at the bow and stern so that the water could not enter the boat, and the sides were raised by fastening sticks bound with fibres and coated with gum to the upper edges.