History of Anguilla Culture

Before the Europeans came to this island, the Arawak Indians had called it arrowshaped.....Malliouhana.They had dwelled on Anguilla since AD 600 ,as was deduced by an archaeologist who found a vase that dated back to the said date. The Indians had constructed a ceremonial worshipping site to be used by Arawaks from the north eastern Caribbean inside of an underground cave, located at Shoal Bay. The cave is 70 feet deep and an excellent source of fresh water, in it was found a 16 foot,carved, petroglyph ( a figure carved from stone). The figure depicts the Supreme God of the Arawaks; Jocahu , "Giver of Cassava", the main crop grown by the Arawaks.Twelve other petroglyphs can be found in this cave called The Fountain.

The Arawaks were brown, tall people with long, straight, black hair.They grew cotton from which they made cotton clothing to cover their bodies and to make hammocks. Besides cassava, they ate different varieties of reef fish; conchs, shellfish, whelks. Corn and sweet potato were also cultivated. Their jewellery was crafted from seeds, bones, seashells, and conch shells.