Forget about the Layou and Yambo petroglyphs which historians and archeologists have confirmed represent the former presence of Amerindian civilization in St. Vincent.

A new site discovered in North Leeward, St. Vincent with what appear to be ancient artifacts is taking the focus and is expected to gain the attention of archeologists.

The site found in the North-western part of mainland St. Vincent is in an area between the villages of Petit Bordel and Chateaubelair called “Cherry Hill”.

Community Leader, Selwin “Selly” Patterson told SecretsOfSVG’s Demion McTair on Sunday, February 25th, 2019 that the site has rocks carved out depicting the faces of different animals, but can only be seen when the sun is in a particular direction.

“Good sunlight is needed in order to recognize the depictions. They have different animal faces on them” [the rocks]. In order to see them, the sun must be strong on them”, Patterson said.

Apart from the animals, the site also features what appears to be a chair carved from the rocks, facing the La Soufriere volcano.

Patterson said he believes the site was established by the Ciboney people who were believed to be among the earliest settlers on St. Vincent.

“From my thinking, it was done by the ‘Cibonians’. They were cave dwellers and they have caves there also” – Patterson told SecretsOfSVG’s Demion McTair.

While news of the site is just coming to the wider public, some persons in the North Leeward community have known about the discovery for quite some time.

An individual who has not given permission to use their name told SecretsOfSVG that they found what they have described as a whistle made of stone at the site a few years ago.

The individual said that the whistle, when blown, brings a peculiar sense of stillness in the atmosphere and that it commands birds.

The individual also stated that they believe the site can be evidence of Africans arriving in this hemisphere, long before slavery, due to the types of animals carved out the rocks such as a Baboon.

A lot of mystery surrounds the discovery, but one thing is for sure: it presents an opportunity for an archeological investigation to determine the authenticity of the site and, further, which civilization was responsible for the site’s construction and the purpose for which the site was used.

Demion McTair

Editor – Secrets of SVG