Evening star., 1932-03-12
Evidence on Civilization Be-
fore Columbus Found
by Explorer.
BENNETT T,WASHINGTONIAN.
BACK WITH SPECIMENS
Convinced Indians Who Inhabited
Island and Those on Mainland
Had Common Ancestor.

connection between the now extinct In
dian residents of Cuba and pre- -Colum-
bian civilization as it existed IN
America, Capt. Robert r. Bennett, 5333
Conduit road, was back in Washington
today.
An intensive period Of exploration of
territory In the western extremity of
the Island Of Cuba, just concluded, has
proved to be but the preliminary to
more extensive and prolonged trim
into territory where, despite its close
proximity to the United States, few, if
any, white men have set foot before.
The announcement came from Capt.
Bennett yesterday after the collection
of more than 100 specimens of Indian
handiwork unearthed by him had been
examined by Dr. Ales Hrdlicka, curator
of physical anthropology of the Smith
sonian Institution and one of the coun-
trys foremost authorities on anthro-
pology According to Dr. Hrdlicka, Can't.
Bennett has but scratched the surface
of one of the most interesting and
productive fields in the Western Hemi-
sphere.
implements Bear Same HalImarks.
Evidence that the inhabitants of Cuba
who basked in its tropical sunlight be-
fore the inquisitive Columbus touched
foot to the soil of America were first
cousins to the Indians whose acuuaint-
ance the Italian made, was found by
Capt. Bennett in Pinar del Rio Prov
ince and the wilder regions about Cape
Antonio. And this evidence, in turn
serves to connect the first Cubans with
common ancestor who, even before the
earliest recorded times of ancient In
dian legends, crossed the icy neck of
Hemisphere, via Bering Strait, with
Asia.
There can be no doubt that the
Indians who once inhabited Cuba are
of Arawak stock" Capt. Bennett de-
clared yesterday. Their implements
bear the same hallmarks as do those
we find on the American continent, and
the suggestion of a common origin is
too definite to be mere coincidence
The trip Of Capt. Bennett was under
the auspices Of the Museum of the
American Indian, Heye Foundation,
New York. In rocky and malaria-in-
tested regions, where 6 miles was con-
sidered a good rate of progress for
t11C udyo OldtE1, Il1S pdtLy
shell heaps, middens, burial caves and
mounds.
Engineering Work Pushed.
In accordance with plans outlined by
Capt. Bennett prior to his departure
from Cuba, engineering work Is going
forward which will result in the drain
age of lake at Malpo Tan, beneath
whose surface and under feet of
muck the explorer found a unique
wooden object, some inches in length
and shaped like dumb-bell, which
Cuban archeologists have declared was
used in prehistoric ceremonial rites.
The bottom Of the lake, once its CEN
turies-old surface of water has been
drained off, is expected to yield treas
ures that will add much to the present
knowledge of ancient American civil
ization.
Cuba, unlike America, has no descend
ants of its oldest inhabitants to bring
TO- present generations legends and
stories. The last known survivor of the
"old people," the last known Indian on
the island, perished in 1874, according
to Capt. Bennett. Because they would
not be enslaved, the Indian inhabitants
were ruthlessly hunted down and exc
cuted by the Spanish settlers. Because
they would not intermarry with the
invaders, there are not even descend
ants of mixed blood.
So here the results of archaeological
expeditions depend largely on physical
findings.
Two Articles Especially Priced.
Among the articles which Capt. Ben
nett brought to Washington are two
which are especially priced One is a
particularly fine tomahawk. 1t repre-
sents, according to the explorer, one
of the finest specimens Of Taino work
manship in existence. 1t is Of dark
greenish stone, some four inches in
length and polished to high luster
The other is string Of small discs
These, Capt. Bennett declared, form a
decisive link with the American Indian,
for they were used by both races not
only as beads, but as the equally IA
miliar wampum, or money.
Other specimens included stone
mortars, pestles and dishes, scrapers of
conch shells and similar articles.
The Cuban Indian was undoubtedly
a cannibal, according to Capt. Bennett,
as abundant evidence in shell and ash
heaps testified, but he differed from
the Indian of the Northern Hemi-
sphere in that he did not use flint or other
SCOne as LlDS lOI Il1o dllOWO,
for the reason that stone of Satisfac-
tory texture does not exist on the is
land of Cuba. Instead he sharpened
his arrows by hardening the wood in
the fire.
Slaves Bones Found.
Equally interesting as a matter Of
history was a heap of bones found by
Capt. Benefits party near Punta de la
Sierra. It Is a grim and mute vertical
ton of the tale of the last Importation
of slaves into Cuba in 1868, and is the
first physical evidence since that time
which substantiates the story of the
fate Of these unfortunates.
"A treaty entered into between Spain
and England forbade the traffic in
slaves" Capt Bennett said, but prior
to 1868 the Spanish governor of Cuba
had entered into a contract with black
birders' to deliver a consignment of
slaves to the island. He was depoSed
prior to the date of their delivery, and
when they were landed an antagonistic
government made immediate disposal of
them mandatory. They were promptly
murdered in cold blood, part Of them be-
ing butchered and the remainder
drowned in a lake at Punta de la Sierra
We found the bones of the ones who
were not drowned"
Capt. Bennett, DR.. Thomas Abbot of
Pinar del Rio, Cuba, an archeologiSt;
Gordon Kinnel, son of a Cuban planter,
and three native laborers formed the
party.
Deaths Reported.
Catherine L. wootten, rs. 1923 Colum-
bia rd o...