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When
Christopher Columbus arrived in Cuba for the first time on the 27th of
October, 1492, and sailed around the Cuban Northeastern coast during forty
days, he not only found a lush vegetation, but also peaceful and naive
aboriginals presenting him with cotton, a sort of spin yarn and small
pieces of gold, all of which they would trade for valueless trinkets.
Two years later, when exploring the South coast of Cuba during his second
trip, the Admiral would realize there were several groups of indigenous
settlers. The natives from the East of the country that were travelling
with him could not understand the language of those that lived in the
Western region.
Indeed, settlements in the island started four thousand years before with
several migrations: the firsts, most probably coming from the North through
Florida, and then several migration waves most probably coming from the
Orinoco River through the arc of the Antilles.
When the Spanish conquest began there were about 100 000 natives in the
island, each group with different degrees of social and cultural development.
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The
oldest and most backward group which had almost disappeared by the
15th century made a living on fishing and fruit collection,
and made their instruments with the shells of large mollusks. Another,
more advanced, group made instruments mainly of stone and some with
shells, and lived on fishing and hunting.
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The
more advanced group, originally from South America, belonged to the aruacos.
These practiced agriculture, and with their main crop, tapioca, made the
cassava bread, which could not only be consumed immediately, but could
last long enough to be preserved. They made ceramic jars and other objects
and manufactured a variety of objects from shells and polished stone.
They lived in "bohíos", thatched palm wood huts grouped
in small "aboriginal" settlements. For centuries, the bohíos
were an important element in the "habitat" of Cuban peasants.
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