Banwari Trace

At Banwari Trace in southwest Trinidad a shell midden excavated in 1969 produced a human skeleton buried in a crouched position, dated to around 3400 BC, which makes it the oldest human remains found anywhere in the Caribbean and pushes settlement of the islands back much further than had been assumed. Banwari Man, as the burial is called, is held by the University of the West Indies. The site itself is on the tentative World Heritage list.

Highlights

• The midden site - the shell mound where the burial was excavated in 1969.
• The 3400 BC date - the oldest human remains found in the Caribbean.
• The tentative listing - the site's place on Trinidad and Tobago's World Heritage tentative list.
• The archaeology context - evidence of the earliest settlement of the islands.

When to go

January to May is driest for the approach. There is nothing to see on site at any time of year. The remains are held at the university in St Augustine.

Good to know

There is essentially nothing to see: the site is unmarked, undeveloped and on private land, with no interpretation of any kind. The remains themselves are not on public display. It is a place of significance rather than a visit.

Nearby

San Francique is nearby, and Columbus Bay is southwest.

Key facts