Search for more houses at Cas Abou

The last time we went to Cas Abou we ended our search for remnants of houses to the North of the plantation house before we reached the last houses on the Werbata map, so we had to come back to complete our search. Also to the East of the road there are a few houses marked on the map in an area that is not cleared by bulldozers. So on Thursday October 8, 2015 the archaeology sleuths gathered once again at 8 AM at the parking lot of the plantation house Cas Abou. From there we walked over the asphalt road first to an area to the East of the road. where we hoped to find our first house. There we entered the vegetation. Rather close to the road we found a pile of small limestones, most probably parts of the wall of the house that was here in the past. In the same area we also found some artifacts, but not many.

We continued through the vegetation to the next houses on the Werbata map. There we found a large field of artifacts but no clear traces of the houses. The artifacts made clear that here was habitation in the past but the houses disappeared without a trace.

We went back to the road and continued to the next location where a house is marked on the map close to a hill top; also this location was rather close to the road; only a few artifacts and no trace of the house. 

Time to cross the road to the other side. First we checked the location of a house that was not present on the Werbata map but it was marked on the Kadaster map of 1962. We found a field of Aloe but no trace of a house. 

The last stop was the location of  two houses that we didn't check the last time even though they were near the location of the two somewhat larger houses on the map. We found parts of the floor and a ridge of plaster with a corner in it indicating remnants of the wall of the former house. Closeby we found the rusted frame of a stretcher and the large bottom stone and the smaller handheld grinding stone which in combination were used to grind corn (maishi chiki) to corn flour.

Fred, Eddy and I lost track of the others and It took us a while to find a good route through the vegetation back to the road; arriving back at the plantation house we found all the others; this time we decided to end our search early. Most of the group made a pitstop at toko Pannekoek to replenish our lost fluids. From there we all went home early,

• Our track on the Werbata map Our track on the Werbata map
• Small lime stones as remnants of a house Small lime stones as remnants of a house
• Part of a car Part of a car
• Large Kiwa shell Large Kiwa shell
• Small piece of porcelain Small piece of porcelain
• Another piece of porcelain: Societé Ceramique Maestricht; mark registered in 1900 Another piece of porcelain: Societé Ceramique Maestricht; mark registered in 1900
• Societé ceramique Maestricht; porcelain Societé ceramique Maestricht; porcelain
• Bottles - remnants of former habitation in this area Bottles - remnants of former habitation in this area
• Sun Crest lemonade - introduced in 1938 Sun Crest lemonade - introduced in 1938
• An old metal plate An old metal plate
• Alcoholado Borinquen - 70% alcohol rum from Puerto Rico Alcoholado Borinquen - 70% alcohol rum from Puerto Rico
• Big Boy soda bottle Big Boy soda bottle
• Part of a hoe Part of a hoe
• Old conch shell Old conch shell
• Part of a case bottle Part of a case bottle
• KarelJan, Eddy and Fred next to a field of aloe KarelJan, Eddy and Fred next to a field of aloe
• Old pots Old pots
• A stretcher as indication of former habitation A stretcher as indication of former habitation
• Parts of a floor Parts of a floor
• Plaster with roof tiles Plaster with roof tiles
• Parts of a former wall of a house Parts of a former wall of a house
• Bottom part of a muller (maalsteen) Bottom part of a muller (maalsteen)
• Grinding stone of the muller Grinding stone of the muller
• Old piss pot Old piss pot
• P. Reqout = former ceramique compagny in Maastricht (later Spinx) - in 1958 merged with Societé Ceramique P. Reqout = former ceramique compagny in Maastricht (later Spinx) - in 1958 merged with Societé Ceramique
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