Art Forms
Architecture
Arawaks
A typical Bohio was spherical in shape with a
thatched roof. The houses allowed the breeze to
seep through the tiny openings between the wood
and the thatched.
Caribs
Houses were large and rectangular in shape and
built in a similar fashion to the Arawaks.
Painting,
Sculptures,
Pottery
Used griddles for baking. It is evident that the
Arawak used pottery as the amounts excavated
over the years. Used trees, cotton, wood, stones,
bones, shells and clay. Painted on pot, jars, owls
and incense burners. Bowls were carved in the
shape of turtles. Carved handles and stools to
represent heads of animals and birds.
The Caribs used pottery in a similar way to the
Arawaks.
Weaving,
Basketry, Matting
Baskets were used for everyday use. They were
used as traps made from leaves and ropes and
vines.
The Caribs used the art forms similar to the
Arawaks. Caribs made very good baskets and
basket-type objects, but their pottery was less
evolved than the one made by Arawaks
Singing, Dancing,
Musical
Instruments
Made instruments from wood and shells. Had
small drums and played a ball game called batos.
They used wooden drums and whistles from
hollow stalks. They also used conch shells for
calling assemblies and their dances. The dances
were associated with ritualistic prayer prior to
raids.
Feather Art, Body
Painting, Jewelry
Used extensive body paints and made permanent This art form was similar to but they also used
tattoos on their skin. Brushes used for body
adornments out of cotton which they wore around
paints were made from the hairs of animal
their arms and legs.
skins..Jewelry was made from shells, bones,
barks and animal teeth. Feathers were dried and
glued to headdresses or to decorate skirts.
Mayans
Their exceptional work can be seen in their
architecture. Used limestone to cut blocks or to
produce lime for plaster. Pyramids were scared
buildings and were used for ceremonial processions
and tombs.
There is evidence of hard durable and well fired pottery
which were hand figures. Some were slipped and well
polished and used as cooking and storage utensils.
Their favourite colours seemed to be black, red and
ivory. They reflected nature and the simple lifestyle of
the people. Used stones and wood to sculpt and carve.
They were painted dark red and blue. Designs have
been found on door and lintels and sacrificial knives.
Used right colours for paintings.
Hand-woven cotton materials called patis were traded.
They spun and hand loomed to make fabrics. Used
embroidery which was called xoc bil chi They plaited
ropes from vines to make baskets. Some used to carry
waster that was coated with a type of wax.
Men were responsible for organizing festivals and
sacrificial ceremonies where they sang and danced.
Music was played in groups and the instruments were
percussion. They also make instruments from pottery,
conch shells, horns and wood.
Maya nobles put clay on top of their noses to make a
long ridge. Rich Mayans also wore jewellery made
from jade.The Mayans also hunted macaws and parrots
for their feathers, which were used to make headresses.
Weapons, Tools
They used the bow and arrow, and had developed
some poisons for their arrow tips. They had
cotton ropes for defensive purposes and some
spears with fish hooks on the end. Since there
were hardwoods on the island, they did have a
war club made of macana. This was about 1″
thick and reminds one very much of the
cocomaque stick used in later Haitian days. They
did not develop any armor or specifically
defensive weapons
The Caribs fought with boutous, (heavy, sharpedged-clubs), and bows and arrows which they
knew how to render poisonous by dipping into the
sap of trees such as the Mancelinier.
The Mayans did not have metal tools. All their
weapons and tools were made from wood and stone.