ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS
As if to give the legends life, many
artifacts and fossils have been unearthed from the lake. These
Artifacts include 8 wooden Amerindian objects, a bench carved
in the shape of an animal (with the marks of the carver’s name
still clearly visible on the underside), a seat, 2 paddles,
a bowl, a mortar, and two weaving sticks.
Fossil remains include the rib and thigh
of a prehistoric animal, the giant SLOTH. This animal was much
longer than the elephant, probably about twenty feet (20) long
and many tons in weight. It was a treetop browser that dwelled
in the Americas during the Pleistocene period that ended 11,000
years ago.
A tooth was also found which is very
interesting for it was recognized as one of the teeth peculiar
to the MASTODON, which was a large prehistoric animal resembling
the elephant, and cousin to the giant Mammoth. These are a few
clues that these animals once inhabited Trinidad.
In 1928, a huge tree, estimated to be
four thousand (4000) years old arose from the middle of the
lake to a height of about ten (10) feet before slowly sinking
again. A cross-section of the tree was severed for posterity.
END
