Times of the Islands Spring 2022

vulnerable to overhunting. Tortoises are today considered
a delicacy in South America, and their populations
are declining accordingly.
Prior to the arrival of humans, crocodiles were the
main predator of adult tortoise. Crocodiles were once
common on many Caribbean and Bahamian islands,
although they have yet to be identified in the Turks &
Caicos. Crocodile bite marks are clearly visible on many
of the Sawmill sink shells, and bite marks on the interior
of shells indicate that crocodiles scavenged the discarded
carcasses of tortoises (and sea turtles) after they were
butchered by humans.
Christopher Columbus captured a crocodile in a saltwater
pond at the northwest point of Crooked Island (The
Bahamas). Having never seen one, he called it lagarto de
la agua (water lizard). Caimán was later reported as the
Taíno name for crocodile. Historians have used GT-3 as
FLORIDA MUSEUM
Crocodile bite marks are visible on many of the Sawmill sink shells.
proof that people were living on Grand Turk at the time
of Columbus’ first voyage, and therefore Grand Turk is
Columbus’ first landfall in the Americas. However, our
research showed that no people (or tortoises) had been
living on Grand Turk for at least 300 years before he set
sail. Had Columbus arrived at an earlier time, he might
have named the island for the ubiquitous tortoise, using
the Spanish name—Galápagos. Just imagine, you could be
visiting the Galápagos & Caicos Islands!
For more on TCI tortoises see https://www.
floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/
sites/35/2020/08/Vol58No1smallarchival.pdf. a
john redmond associates ltd.
architects & designers
construction consultants
project management
Dr. Bill Keegan is Curator of Caribbean Archaeology at the
Florida Museum of Natural History (University of Florida);
Dr. Betsy Carlson is Senior Archaeologist at Southeastern
Archaeological Research (SEARCH, Inc.) in Jonesville, FL;
and Dr. Michael Pateman is former Director of the Turks
& Caicos National Museum and currently Curator/Lab
Director of the AEX Maritime Museum on Grand Bahama.
p.o.box 21, providenciales, turks & caicos is.
tel.: 9464440 cell: 2314569 email: redmond@tciway.tc
Times of the Islands Spring 2022 31