Black pitch, carved histories: Prehistoric wood sculpture from Trinidad's Pitch Lake

Since 6000 BC, if not earlier, Trinidad has been the gateway into the Caribbean for waves of South American migrants - the first stepping stone in the long chain of islands that make up the archipelago. Its critical position to the settlement of the Caribbean is reflected in its deep archaeological record, documenting the complex interactions between its diverse peoples over millennia. Unique among its archaeological sites is Pitch Lake, one of the largest natural deposits of asphalt in the world (see Fig. 1 - Visual Evidence), which over the years has yielded extremely rare wood carvings - to date the largest concentration of ancient wood artefacts in the Lesser Antilles (of the 18 carvings known from the region, eleven were recovered from Pitch Lake). However, unlike any systematic archaeological excavation, these carvings have been dredged up as a consequence of commercial pitch harvesting (Fig 2), and any association between them, or the skeletal remains that were also recovered, have been lost. They are thus rarely discussed in the archaeological literature - they float outside chronologies, peripheral to the ceramic and stone foundations upon which Caribbean prehistory is based.

Yet wood is among the most insightful of materials, lending itself to radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analyses and botanical identification - the latter two providing direct insights into people's interaction with their environment. The carving scars evident on these pieces echo the movements of those labouring over them and provide a window onto their past activities. Historical accounts from the 15th-16th centuries indicate that Caribbean cultures had rich wood carving traditions, and that much of their material culture was carved in wood - from massive communal houses to utilitarian objects such as canoes, paddles and vessels, to ritual items and ceremonial seats - and this heritage can now only be glimpsed through the handful of examples that survive in museum and private collections. This reliance on wood undoubtedly goes back to the first migrations - without canoes and paddles, for example, the islands could not be settled. Hence, despite the lack of context, the carvings from Pitch Lake - now held in three separate institutions - provide a unique opportunity to investigate the importance of wood artefacts, especially valuable in a context where wood was the basis of material culture, but rarely survives. The proposed research would be the first detailed, multi-disciplinary investigation of the Pitch Lake wood carvings, with the aim of placing these objects in a chronological and cultural perspective.

From the artefacts (Fig 3) recovered from this one site we can potentially explore not only local adaptations, but regional influences and exchanges - as well as more esoteric/symbolic meanings. The methodologies enable a deeper level of investigation into the corpus - from the stable isotope analysis that can provide insights into the source of the trees used for the carvings, to the wood ID which can be cross-referenced with historical accounts of how such woods were used (from timber to medicinal knowledge). The deposit of burials and artefacts in the lake also suggests a deeper symbolism, one befitting such an unusual setting. Several myths collected during the 19th century, a time when an indigenous population was still resident in the area, recount that the lake was a portal through which the deceased returned in the form of birds to visit their descendants. The recurring themes in the legends, of death and the afterlife, give some support to the possibility that the area may have had a spiritual significance, one that may have had a considerable chronological depth spanning many generations. The lake could have had conceptual parallels to caves, used across the Caribbean for burials and the deposit of ritual objects - and as such a fitting area of ceremonial deposit and myth.

The project develops collaborative networks between colleagues in diverse international venues, including wildlife and environmental organizations (Pointe-à-Pierre Wildfowl Trust [PPWFT] and National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago [NTTT]), museums (the National Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago [NGTT], Peabody Museum of Natural History [PMNH], National Museums Liverpool) and academic institutes (Leiden University, University of Oxford, University of the West Indies and the Max Planck Inst.). The project's unique cross-disciplinary approach - a synergy between the arts and sciences - contributes to enhancing public awareness and understanding of Caribbean cultural heritage.

The NGTT, PPWFT, PMNH are the direct stakeholders in the project, and through them, their local, target audiences as well as the wider international community-including academic as well as public sector beneficiaries (e.g., Caribbeanists, archaeologists, botanists, Trinidadian diaspora). The research highlights the benefit of long-term museum care and storage of cultural patrimony, most especially of objects whose value is not immediately apparent due to the paucity of associated information and their preservational challenges. Bringing these little known collections to wider attention by utilising their inherent research potential goes some way to justify the investment of care that continues to go into their safe keeping.

While enhancing knowledge of current collections, the project also builds relevant holdings - such as the duplicate herbarium samples collected as part of the stable isotope project (deposited at the NTTT and NML), as well as the planned handling collections, commissioned from local artists, that will be integrated into museum activities and events. This contributes to engaging local communities and bringing Trinidadian wood carving heritage into wider discourse and public awareness by highlighting it as a rich resource for study, with implications for building understanding of Pitch Lake archaeology and its place in the wider archaeology of the circum-Caribbean.

In addition to cultural sector benefits, the project contributes to wider social, economic and environmental issues - from working collaboratively with conservation societies (PPWFT and NTTT - aspects of this study highlight environmental issues such as the preservation of native trees) to drawing attention (via the web, media, etc) to Pitch Lake itself, a key tourist attraction upon which the local residents depend (as tour guides, vendors, taxi drivers, etc). Aside from tourism, the lake continues to be a vital economic resource for asphalt mining. The project contributes to highlighting the archaeological value of the site: there is every possibility that other artefacts may emerge as dredging continues, and raising awareness of the value of the artefacts contributes to the resource management of the site. The project has been approved by the Archaeology Committee at the University of West Indies, who advise government on site protection, and working in collaboration with these various stakeholders bridges different sectors and their remits, enhancing information across the disciplines. Further, the project contributes directly to the development and training at the NTTT and PPWFT, with the former providing staff and expertise for the stable isotope/herbarium collecting and the latter enhancing collections knowledge, which would in turn contribute to events (exhibit, tours) at the Centre. The PPWFT, a centre of excellence for local education about the natural environment (with innovative outreach and 'hands on' sessions for young children as well as training for school teachers and members of community based organisations), also has a long standing record of influencing local and international policy, and is an ideal venue through which to disseminate project results, directly contributing to socio-economic impact.