Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Patate Shelter, discovered in 2003 by archaeologist Christian Stovenot, is an exceptional pre-Colombian site located in the commune of Moule, Guadeloupe. Located in a karst landscape near the Anse Patate, it is distinguished by its 14 anthropomorphic rock engravings, made on stalactites and stalagmites between 800 and 1100. These petroglyphs, turned outwards, exploit the natural forms of concretions to depict stylized faces, including a more complex example on a 40 cm stalactite incorporating a nose and nostrils.

The site, occupied during the recent Neo-Indian ( Troumassoid culture), has a rare feature: natural basins collecting freshwater in the rainy season, a precious resource in this arid area of Grande-Terre. This feature, combined with the proximity of the ocean (500 m) and the moderate altitude (35 m), could explain its occupation by Amerindian populations. The shelter, whose vault is now collapsed, retains only a 1.5 m corbellation, but its semicircular platform of 6 m in diameter bears witness to its past importance.

The engravings, unique in Grande-Terre and rare in Guadeloupe, were made by adding cups and furrows on limestone concretions, transforming natural forms into schematic faces. Among them, figures E, F and G form a remarkable central group, with E and F heads carved on oblong stalactites, creating a realistic effect. The site, owned by the commune of Moule, was listed as historical monuments in 2013 and since 2018 incorporates the Plan de gestion de l'art rubestre in Guadeloupe, aimed at preserving these fragile remains.

The discovery of the Patate shelter in 2003 marked a turning point for Guadeloupéan archaeology, revealing the first engraved rocks of Grande-Terre and the only limestone on the archipelago, with the cave of Morne-Rita at Marie-Galante. The carbon 14 studies, conducted on gastropods found on site, have made it possible to date precisely the occupation of the site between 800 and 1100, confirming its membership in the recent ceramic period. This shelter, along with that of Morne-Rita, constitutes one of the only two known rock sites in Guadeloupe, highlighting its heritage importance.

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