Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

Aboriginal Indian Remains in Jamaica by J. E. Duerden / 279
habitants knows anything of the history of the carving. A local celebrity, over
80 years of age, and rejoicing in the name of “Prince William,” remembers seeing
it when a boy.
As contributing to the human likeness advantage has been taken of a vertical
projection, covered with stalactitic matter, on the wall of the gorge. Upon this,
deep incisions have been made to distinguish the various regions of the body; a
circular one marks the extent of the face, and others the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Incisions are further found in various places below; but are not of sufficient definiteness
to allow of their import being accurately determined, the face [49] being
the most characteristic portion. A receding area above the face is probably
only a part of the original natural form of the projection. A fractured surface on
one side may represent where an arm has been broken off. The body terminates
inferiorly much like the surrounding stalactitic covered projections. The total
length is 5 feet 6 inches, the length of the face 14 inches, the diameter of the
circular eye sockets 1 3/4 inches, the distance between their centres 3 inches.
The depth of the grooves varies throughout from 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. The
greater part of the surface was evidently smooth at one time, but is now, as is
also the case with the surface of the incisions, considerably roughened and pitted
by weathering and solution, denoting considerable antiquity.
For the photograph from which the figure is taken, and also for that on Plate
VII, figure 2, the markings on the rock had been carefully traced with a charcoal
pencil so as to render, in the shade, a good negative possible.
Pantrepant, Trelawny
Pantrepant is a large property in Trelawny, beyond the Good Hope estate, and
belongs to Mr. A. Townend. It is on the borders of the Cockpit country, about
nine miles from the sea, and 387 feet above the sea- level. In slavery days it was a
celebrated sugar- estate, but is now used largely for cattle- grazing. The location
of the carving is in one of the wildest and most picturesque parts of the property
on the side of a hill, with the Martha Brae river running below. The white
Tertiary limestone here begins to be rugged and precipitous, as in the typical
parts of the Cockpit country near, and shows the result of very considerable
weathering action. From the house on the property, the approach to the carving
is through the old Negro village, then for some distance through ruinate pasture,
and afterwards up the rugged side of a hill where one’s way through the
bush had to be cut in advance. The primary object of the visit, which accidentally
led to the discovery, was to examine the accumulation of bones dropped
on the floor of an archway in the limestone rock, from an owl’s nest. The hill
here is very precipitous, and a natural archway leads through a projecting portion.
The abundant crevices and recesses in the sides and roof of the archway