Times of the Islands Fall 2020

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
“Beyond the Everyday” encourages a consideration of aspects of Lucayan culture that were an integral part of their lives: their histories and
beliefs.
from the surrounding regions, where looms have been
used for millennia, and continue to be used today.
The loom featured in “The Weavers” illustration is a
back-strap style common among the Arawak-speaking
groups of South America, and is often called the “Arawak
loom.” Given that the Lucayans were Arawak speakers, it
seems appropriate (there is a different type of Caribbean
loom more commonly seen among the Carib-speakers,
such as the Kalinago of the Lesser Antilles), but whether
this was the version the Lucayans used is, at best, a guess.
The benefit of this style of loom is that it could be used
for a variety of weave sizes—from small cotton naguas
to hammocks—simply by adjusting the sizes of the warp
and wefts and/or the wooden framework. In this scene,
an elder sits by the side of the bohio (house) weaving a
hammock in the company of her granddaughter, who is
spinning new cotton twine, while the pet pup and parrot
are enjoying a bit of play with an unravelling spindle whorl.
Trade
Trade linked the many islands in the archipelago to each
other and to communities on Hispaniola and/or Cuba and
beyond. Evidence for the circulation of goods is recovered
at archaeological sites in the region—from imported
ceramics to exotic stone artefacts (celts, pendants and
beads). The Lucayans would trade their own goods in
return, including cotton and parrots, as mentioned in
Columbus’ accounts, and quite possibly other perishables,
such as baskets, salt and salted fish or conch.
The small, perfectly made shell beads that are commonly
found at sites were likely made for export. The site
of Governor’s Beach (GT-2), Grand Turk, for example, was
a shell bead production site, where thousands of beads
and bead-making scrap were recovered (Carlson, 1993).
People would likely barter in small exchanges between
neighbouring communities, but caciques (chiefs) or “big
men” may have controlled longer distance trade for desir-
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