Engraved block and polishers located in the river La Ramée

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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The engraved block and the polishings of the La Ramée River constitute a major archaeological site of Guadeloupe, attributed to the Arawak period between the 1st and 7th centuries. Located at the mouths of the Ramée and Madame rivers (the Dindé site for the latter), this set of petroglyphs illustrates the pre-Columbian occupation of the island by agricultural populations from South America. These remains belong to the Huecoid phase, marked by a second wave of migration around 500 B.C., with physical traces like pottery discovered during excavations.

Archaeological research, including the 2007 campaigns near Dindé and La Ramée, revealed artifacts dating from the transition between Saladoid (end) and Troumassoid (early) cultures around the year 1000. These findings confirm the importance of the site as an organized Native American village, where polishers were probably used to make tools or ritual objects. The engraved block, on the other hand, could have a symbolic or religious meaning, typical of arawak societies.

Ranked a historic monument in 2014, the site enjoys protection including the block, polishers and their immediate environment. This inscription highlights its heritage value to understand the first human occupations in the Lesser Antilles. The petroglyphs of La Ramée are thus part of a wider network of pre-Columbian sites in Guadeloupe, testifying to the cultural exchanges and craft techniques of indigenous peoples before the arrival of Europeans.

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