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A real historic treasure of Puerto Rico awaits the visitors of the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center near Ponce, which is located in the southern part of the island.
In 1975, tropical storm Eloísa hit the city of Ponce, causing the Portugués River to overflow. As the floodwater slowly retreated, it revealed a treasure from the past: On a private farm in Barrio Tibes seven "bateyes", two ceremonial "plazas", a burial ground and a myriad of artifacts were found. All this had been built by the native population of Puerto Rico, the "Igneri" and later also the "Pre-Tainos", thousands of years before the discovery and subsequent taking of the island by the Spaniards in the 14. century, which brought in its wake the brutal suppression of the indigenous population.
With view to protecting Puerto Rican culture, Ponce Municipal Government turned the farm into government property. A team of archeologists, historians, geologists and other scholars surveyed the area and analyzed the vast amount of ceramic and lithic material as well as other cultural remains found on this site. They concluded that two different cultures, the Igneri and Pre-Tainos, had populated the Valley of Tibes at different times.
The Igneri, or Saladoids, were the first farmers and ceramists to settle in the West Indies. They came from the coasts of the Orinoco River in Venezuela and settled in the various islands they found along the way. They finally arrived in Tibes at around 300 A.D. The Igneri settled near the coastlines and rivers, developing an advanced culture based on the cultivation of cassava and other New World plants.
The guided tours of the park are offered in Spanish and English language. They are very instructive and interesting for people of all ages. A visit at the Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center can be conveniently combined with a visit at the Parque de Bombas in Ponce.
