Risky business: historical archaeology of the Dutch salt enterprise on La Tortuga Island, Venezuela (1624–38)

Figures & data

FIG. 1 La Tortuga Island within the wider geographical context of the Caribbean.

FIG. 2 Map of La Tortuga Island and its main anchorages.

FIG. 3 Aerial view of the Punta Salinas site (photograph, José Miguel Pérez Gómez).

FIG. 4 Map of the saltpans and Los Mogotes Lagoon surrounding the site of Punta Salinas.

FIG. 5 Map of the site of Punta Salinas.

FIG. 6 Panorama of the harbour and the site of Punta Salinas from onboard a ship anchored in the bay

FIG. 7 Panorama of the flooded saltpans of Punta Salinas (photograph, José Voglar).

FIG. 8 Map of Dutch fort on La Tortuga under attack by Spanish and Cumanagoto Indians painted by Juan Bautista Antonelli (the Younger) in 1638 (España, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Archivo General de Indias, AGI, MP-Venezuela, 24 – Planta de la Isla Tortuga (1638)).

FIG. 9 La Tortuga skirmish of 1638 depicted on a map printed in Seville in 1639 (España, Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. Archivo Histórico Nacional, AHN, Diversos-Colecciones, 26, N.81).

FIG. 10 Plan of the excavations carried out at the Dutch features TR/S/T-1 and TR/S/T-2 and their profiles.

FIG. 11 Partial view of the 2010 excavation of the earthwork feature (photo, José Voglar).

FIG. 12 Ceramics and glass recovered in the earthwork feature (TR/S/T-1). 1–2. Dutch tin-glazed earthenware dish fragments; 3. brimmed dish probably of Mexican majolica and attributed to the San Juan Polychrome style; 4. Dutch lead-glazed red earthenware two-handled porringer with a thick green glaze on the interior; 5. Belgian ‘case’ bottle fragment; 6. Dutch lead-glazed red earthenware tripod saucepan.

FIG. 13 Dutch pipes recovered in the earthwork feature (TR/S/T-1), dating between 1625 and 1638. 1. pipe with a rose mark, prob. Amsterdam; 2. Gouda pipe with a tulip mark; 3. Pipe with a crowned rose mark flanked by ‘T’ and ‘T’, Amsterdam; 4. pipe with a crowned rose mark, Amsterdam; 5. double-conical pipe with a lily mark, prob. Amsterdam; 6. pipe with molded rose on bowl; 7. West-Frisian pipe (Hoorn/Enkhuizen); 8. Poss. West-Frisian pipe; 9–13 various molded and stamped pipe stems, mostly from Amsterdam; 14. rare and finely molded pipe bowl with baroque motifs of human faces, a rooster’s head and vegetal design, poss. Gouda (Jan van Oostveen pers. comm. 2010).

FIG. 14 Metal and stone artefacts recovered in the earthwork feature (TR/S/T-1). 1. various calibres of lead shot, both impacted and intact; 2. flint fire-starter or a gunflint of a later period; 3. iron ladle or knife handle; 4. Spanish lead cloth seal; 5. lead cloth seal of unknown provenance, length:45mm.

FIG. 15 Graphic reconstruction of the Dutch fort from 1638 on La Tortuga (drawing, Julijan Vermeer & Konrad A. Antczak).