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The Daily Nws. August, 15, 1997 25- Environment
In response-to the. captain's.letter
This Is in response to Capt. Jim ous rumors end by apparent igno-
McMams on th.e Magms Day has race of African metallurgical his-
a story to tell," letter to the editor O d story. For to assume that a ail found
whichh ppeaed isTbe Daily News Davis beide an African skeleton is proof
oAsg.i. of a post-Columbian dating Is
ina good flth to mode, I dink i. absurd.
it li my ce0pouibilky to pond to Why should a nail pose iomper-
the comments McManas made. able problems to Africans whose
Fmt of all, my cles are based on melling of Iron dato back to 650
scientific research. lterviews with Sltooilanm that linest had va B.C. a Memo in Nubia and to 200
people, journals, books sad ay orated beca se the lto found g.c. st Nok in Nigeria? A we to
geof thesbject matter. In the grave could not be properly believe that the medieval West
McMtanoat od, "I would like to dated. Salt water had sped* lto African who could deviC metal
,scct a deson, piece of mi io. the booes disturbing the carbon implements famed neabIh to per.
n content, ladlig to wildly fluct-. form eyesclatec turgery II the
My soece of formation about s te rdingof skletal e 13th emltoy was incapable of mak-
thelfullBy Skeletoes" camefrom Also, and this s most reva llig iga ll?
prhofsr Ivan Satima's book eotl- a sail had been fond sear O of The flid at Hall Bay, however,
tied, "The African Presence in the sheletom Indicatflg (said the is only the moet reet in a series of
Asciat America: They am before informant) that the find wait most discoveries of Negroid skeletal
ColimbS."Setimsa a scholar ad centably post-Cotmbin.". remains in pre-Columbian stats in
a pier n linguistlics and ahm-ino. Stima father m entioned,"IThe the Nw World.
ppogy at RulgersUniversity. disturbance of the bones by sea Sertlmis' visit to the Virgin
* According to the Assocdated wa makes oe apect of th evi. Itslndwwnsponsoredjointlyby the
Prm report on the discovery, the deice loconcluive, but the other Eavimomental Studies Program on
skletos oftw Negroid mal s in features the pre-Columbian St. John sad then the.l Col of the
their 30S had been found buried ia ceramic e the age of the sell Virgin Islads.
soil layers dated 1250* A.D. layers, th evidence of an naieual Yes, McManus, I have set the
Clamped around the wristof non of dental ritual not associated with record straight. As you said, "we
the skeleton was a ceranmd vessel Africas of slavery tim -a-roeg- don't want our cultural heritage
*of pre-Columbian Indian design. lyaiuggeat a ple-Colubitclalent. lost."
Examinatillon of the teeth of the In other words, nothing in the The information of the Hall Bay
skeletons indicated dentall mutill- evidence associated with the tkelt- skeletons can be found on pages
lion characteristic of ealy African tons suggest a post-Columblan dat. 262 sod 263 in Sertima's book.
cuiltues." Ing. So the Hull Bay question Any question you may have you
Sertima stated that "by Mach remains open. Further diggings in an coolact m at 778-9491 or 692
1976. however, when I visited the that ares may establish the pro. 4080.
site,' blanket of secrecy had Columbian presence of Africans in Olasse Davs, *o h r matter
decemded. The grove had degener- the Virgin slnds. But the nAoser is oscenr degree In range m nae
sted ntlo a garbage dump. I learned being prlematrely dosed by a oen- meet and frestry e ology, it a Sr.
from ormatin filing out of the' piracy of d s.ce, a spate of insadi. Crnr ecologis acvist and wrelr.
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