48 ETHNOLOGY: J. W. FEWKES 
and that its culture, with certain significant differences, resembled in 
general that on the other West Indies. 
The presence of an aboriginal population in Barbados is indicated by 
the numerous prehistoric objects collected in caves, natural and artificial, 
mounds, middens, and other village sites. The number of prehistoric 
implements found in these localities on Barbados, is so large that there 
can be no doubt that the island once had a great aboriginal population. 
These objects were made of shell, and were formerly so abundant that, 
according to several informants, they were ground up and used for road 
beds. Even now a considerable number can be secured from the natives 
at a few pennies apiece, for the asking. 
There are several well-marked types of shell implem.ents, so character- 
istic that there is no doubt they are of local manufacture. Stone celts 
are very rare for the reason that suitable material for their manufacture 
does not exist in any place on the island. The few that occur were evi- 
dently brought to Barbados from over the sea. This abundance of 
shell implements and relative paucity of those made of stone has an 
important bearing on whether the aborigines were transient visitors or 
permanent inhabitants. They must have been locally made by the 
latter, for shell implements are rare on the nearest islands where stone 
implements are very abundant. 
Evidences that the aborigines of Barbados formerly inhabited natu- 
ral caves are many. On the roofs of these caves there still remain miarks 
of smoke indicating former fires, while in their floors, especially near 
the entrance, numerous artifacts have been excavated. Joseph Forte 
found over a hundred implements in one cavern, 350 feet above the 
level of the sea. Although the material out of which they were made 
is different, the forms of these objects show that the culture of the cave 
dwellers resembled that of cave people found elsewhere in the West 
Indies, although much more varied. 
While there is nothing in the natural caves and their artificial con- 
tents which shows that the aboriginal culture of Barbados was excep- 
tional, the claim that artificial caves exist is important; for if it can be 
successfully proved that the aborigines made these caves, Barbados is 
the only West Indian island where artificial cave dwellings were made. 
The existence of this kind of cave from its unique character is naturally 
doubted by many, and while some writers deny their artificial origin, 
or ascribe them to Europeans, others take the opposite view. The 
examinations made by me lead me with some hesitation to adopt the 
latter conclusion. 
