INDIGENOUS PERIOD IN VENEZUELA - HISTORY - 2025

The indigenous period in Venezuela began in approximately 20,000 BC. C. The displacement of the first settlers was generated from the north to the south, which is why the Venezuelan coasts were the first to receive indigenous families.

Archaeological investigations have determined that there are four demarcated periods: Paleoindian, Mesoindian, Neo-Indian and Indo-Hispanic. The first three correspond to pre-Columbian times: during these phases the Venezuelan indigenous families experienced important developments in economic, social and cultural matters.

The indigenous Venezuelans of the Paleoindian coexisted with the megafauna of the region. Source: Heinrich Harder (1858-1935)

One of the most relevant Venezuelan tribes were the Timoto-Cuicas, who developed constructions of great utility for the time -such as vaults to bury the deceased or store food- and carried out exchanges with other nearby indigenous families, which allowed them to dedicate themselves to trade. To some extent.

Stages of the indigenous period in Venezuela

- First stage: coexistence with megafauna

The first settlers of Venezuela were located especially on the coasts and valleys. Their main source of food was large animals, those that constituted the megafauna of the region.

These animals became extinct in approximately 10,000 BC. This implies that there was a long period of coexistence between giant animals and original inhabitants.

The tools they used to defend themselves from these beasts and for their daily tasks were built from stones. Little by little other elements were included, such as wood, sea shells and bones, among others.

As a consequence of a search for better hunting techniques, the indigenous Venezuelans of this period developed more effective weapons such as the bow and arrow, thanks to which they could hunt prey on the move and from a distance.

This first phase (Paleoindian) lasted until 5000 BC. C. approximately, and the way of life was still nomadic. The most important archaeological finds corresponding to this time have been found in El Jobo, a town located in the Falcón state. Among these traces are spearheads and other hunting tools.

- Second stage: search for new sources of food

The disappearance of the megafauna implied a search for new food options. Since the end of the previous period, the tribes were expanding their possibilities by incorporating weapons to hunt from a distance, so in this phase the diet included fish, birds and even rodents.

Marine resources were the most important for the inhabitants of this period. Thanks to the consumption of these, the indigenous Venezuelans began to experience a process of semi-sedentarism.

The findings in the excavations support this argument, as many pieces related to fishing and very few weapons of another type have been found.

Expansion

At this time - which corresponds to the Mesoindian period - the population of the tribes began to increase, which gave rise to the first forms of social organization.

In fact, the development of fishing implied that the indigenous people moved to other areas that could only be reached by boat; such is the case of several islands in the Caribbean. The population expanded, which allowed a better use of the soil and the birth of an agricultural culture that gradually evolved.

This diversification in obtaining food contributed to create exchange systems, which were beneficial for the different tribes that made life in Venezuela in pre-Hispanic times.

- Third stage: rebound in agriculture

From 1000 a. Approximately C. the agricultural systems were developed in such a way that they generated the first settlements more complex in terms of their structure.

From this period (known as Neoindio) are the Timoto-Cuicas, a tribe of indigenous Venezuelans located in the Andes of Venezuela who shared their culture with those of neighboring tribes. Thanks to this exchange, the timoto-cuicas gained knowledge in different areas, especially in architecture.

Other important tribes of that time were the Caribs and the Arawaks. The Caribs were settled on the coasts of the Caribbean (hence their name), while the Arawaks were found on the western plains.

Below we will describe the most relevant aspects of these three indigenous tribes of Venezuela:

Timoto-cuicas

Among the main relevant aspects of the timoto-cuicas are the construction of irrigation canals, the use of natural fertilizers and the cultivation of terraces. All these implementations led to a broad cultural development in the Andean area.

Caribs

They were very good navigators and carried out commercial activities with different tribes in the area. The elders were considered spiritual guides of the tribe, so they occupied an important place in the social organization.

The Caribs were one of the tribes that resisted the longest when the Spanish reached the Venezuelan shores. Researchers point out that they were the first hammock manufacturers and that revenge was allowed within the normative parameters of the tribe.

Arawacos

Their action was not very focused on cultivating, as they continued to subsist mainly through hunting and fishing.

The shamans and caciques were the ones who directed the social organization of this tribe, and their houses were covered with bahareque to give them greater stability and firmness.

One of the most characteristic elements of the Arawaks was that they dedicated themselves to building rafts and became specialists in this task.

Yucca, main crop

The entire agricultural system of the country revolved around cassava, which was the main crop in the different regions.

In order to guarantee the success of the crops, in this period the tribes began to develop irrigation and land control mechanisms; Thanks to these they used the lands in a better way and, in addition, the chiefs exercised an important control over the members of the tribes.

Barter and pottery

Within the Venezuelan territory there was also cultural and commercial exchange. Barter was the figure through which the different tribes of Venezuela exchanged their products; this kept them close to each other and allowed for global development.

Despite the fact that each family developed its own cultural manifestations, there were some traditions that were spread throughout the region; such is the case of pottery, which is considered among the first manifestations of the Venezuelan indigenous culture.

The figures represented included both animals and human beings, and in several cases the works display a special care for details that makes them peculiar.

References

1. "Pre-Columbian period in Venezuela" in Revolvy. Retrieved on October 16, 2019 from Revolvy: revolvy.com
2. "History Olympics" at the Andrés Bello Catholic University. Retrieved on October 16, 2019 from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello: ucab.edu.ve
3. Velázquez, N. "Indigenous population and ethnohistory in the extreme east of Venezuela" in Scielo. Retrieved on October 16, 2019 from Scielo: scielo.org.mx
4. "History of Venezuela / Pre-Columbian times" in Wikibooks. Retrieved on October 16, 2019 from Wikibooks: es.wikibooks.org
5. Criado, M. “The megafauna became extinct long after the humans arrived” in El País. Retrieved on October 16, 2019 from El País: espais.com
6. "History of Venezuela" in EcuRed. Retrieved on October 16, 2019 from EcuRed: ecured.cu