Archaeologists and historians estimate that up to 100 million native people lived in the Americas before Europeans arrived. Taíno artifacts such as this bowl remind us that Christopher Columbus did not truly discover a “New World” in 1492.
Story
This Taíno vessel was recovered from the site of En Bas Saline in Haiti. It’s a reminder that the New World Columbus discovered was already inhabited by people. Some archaeologists and historians estimate that up to 100 million native people lived in the Americas before Europeans arrived. This particular vessel was made by the Taíno people who occupied the island of Hispaniola and many of the Caribbean islands.
Gifford Waters
Collection Manager, Historical Archaeology
Florida Museum of Natural History
Summary
Ceramic Vessel
Made by Taíno people, En Bas Saline, Haiti
Dates to AD 1200-1500
Exhibit Area
Theme
Spanish Colonial Archaeology