Caguana Ceremonial Ball Courts Site

Approximately 13 ball courts and plazas (bateyes) have been identified and many have been restored to their original state. Monoliths and petroglyphs carved by the Taínos can be seen among the rocks and stones, some weighing over a ton, that were most likely brought from the Tanama River located adjacent to the site.[5]

The plan of the site and the positions of the ball courts indicate an alignment with specific astronomical events, and the site might have functioned as a place to observe and possibly predict astronomical events such as planetary and stellar transits, conjunctions and alignments. Numerous of the petroglyphs depict astronomical objects such as the moon, stars and planets. Although the site is not listed as a world heritage site, its archaeoastronomical features are well-documented and recognized by the UNESCO Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative.[5][6]

The site of the modern archaeological site was originally known as Corrales de los Indios (Spanish for "Indian corrals") by locals after the corral-like outlines of some of the ball courts. The first exploration and survey works in the site were led by American anthropologist John Alden Mason in 1914. The site has been under continuous study since the 1930s, at first by archaeologists from Yale University such as Irvin Rouse, and later by the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture and Dr. Ricardo Alegría. The interpretative park and a small museum were first opened to visitors in 1965.[7]

The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture manages the site as a park under the name Caguana Indigenous Ceremonial Center (Parque Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana). The National Park Service has placed it on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated it as a National Historic Landmark (under the name Caguana Site). It was listed on the National Register in 1992 and designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1993.[3][2][1]

The park also includes a small museum containing Taíno artifacts, archaeological exhibits and a small botanical garden featuring some of the plants the Taínos harvested for food such as sweet potatoes, cassava, corn, and yautía. Many of the trees used by the Taínos to construct their homes (bohíos), such as mahogany and ceiba can also be seen throughout the park.[5]

Also the site has been included in the UNESCO Astronomy World Heritage List.

Scenes at Caguana Ceremonial Ball Courts Site:

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  Stones and mountain behind
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  Caguana Ceremonial Ball Courts Site
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  Ball Court
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  Bird drawn on stone
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  Faces drawn on stones
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  Traditional Bohio like the ones built by the Taino

• List of United States National Historic Landmarks in United States commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states
• National Register of Historic Places listings in central Puerto Rico
• Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Caguanas Indigenous Ceremonial Center.

• National Park Service Images
• Additional National Park Service Images
• Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Caguana, Utuado - Puerto Rican Cultural Institute
• National Park Service site description for visitors
• National Historic Landmark description by the National Park Service
• Parque Ceremonial Indigena de Caguana Official Page
• Summary sheet from the Puerto Rico State Historic Preservation Office (in Spanish)