30 BULLETIN 15 6, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



No stratification showing definitely marked differences in the cul- 

 ture remains was noted, except in one instance. The cave named 

 " Cueva del Templo," where a clearly marked break in the cave 

 deposits was observed, lies about two-thirds of a kilometer inland 

 from the shore of San Lorenzo Baj'^, an arm of Samana Bay. The 

 cave opens on the side of a cliff just east of the abandoned railroad 

 track that formerly supplied the American Banana Co.'s plantation. 

 In this cave was found a layer of clam and oyster shells thickly 

 interspersed with animal, bird, and fish bones and with crab claws, 

 forming a deposit varying from 3 to 5 feet in thickness. As excava- 

 tion continued, there was found underneath this layer a stratum of 

 black loamy soil of approximately 8 inches thickness. Underneath 

 this deposit of soil was another culture deposit varying in depth 

 from 4 to 6 feet. This included mostly conch shells and practically 

 no animal bones. Crude implements of shell, bone, and flaked 

 stone were recovered from this lower culture deposit, while pottery 

 shards, some of which are decorated, and food bowls of pottery were 

 excavated from the upper culture stratum. 



Another cave containing culture deposits is on a small island key 

 near the abandoned wharf. It faces the open waters of San Lorenzo 

 Bay and has extensive culture deposits. As the cave was occupied, 

 only sporadic excavation could be attempted. Shards of decorated 

 and undecorated pottery accompanied the usual artifact finds. It 

 would appear from this that Arawak groups had at one time occu- 

 pied the cave and, perhaps, were responsible for the entire culture 

 deposit of this particular cave. 



The floor of the cave known as San Gabriel lies from 10 to 20 

 feet above sea level. San Gabriel is a small islet just off the south 

 shore of Samana Bay a few kilometers west of the San Lorenzo 

 arm. The cave occupies practically the entire interior of a limestone 

 island key and is one of the most habitable caves of the Playa Hondo 

 coast. The floor of the cave has been raised by the deposition of 

 fallen rock masses which later disintegrated. Then, too, the gradual 

 uplift of the land surface noticeable throughout the entire Samana 

 Bay area has brought the floor to a level high above the tide. The 

 middens within the cave were therefore entirely dry. Deposits of 

 conch, clam, and other shells are approximately 8 feet deep on the 

 cave floor in the proximity of the only available cave entrance. 

 This section of the cave floor is roughly 20 feet wide and 50 feet long. 

 The aboriginal hearth fire was maintained here underneath an over- 

 hanging ledge of rock and the kitchen debris making up the deposits 

 in this area were sheltered from rain and storm. Hearth fires had 

 been built up on successive layers of ashes and charcoal to a height 

 of several feet, so that a sharp slope away from the fireplace toward 

 the water's edge characterized the midden at this point. 



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