The Berbice Archaeology Project George Simon (artist and archaeologist)

simon @ work on berbice archaeology project, 2009.

in 2009, simon began working on major archaeological project in berbice region of guyana neil l. whitehead @ university of wisconsin-madison , michael heckenberger @ university of florida. aimed @ investigating remains of ancient settlements , agricultural networks in berbice region, project had origins in initial sighting of numerous small mounds retired major-general joe singh, during 1 of flights guyana defence force battle school @ takama. singh s initial observations pursued simon, discovered terra preta soils (evidence of human inhabitance) in area in 1987. in 1992, whitehead , simon revisited sites , undertook preliminary field investigations of cultural , geological remains in area. these investigations uncovered vast complex of agricultural mounds in area , large terra preta site named hitia. initial radiocarbon tests of samples taken site places construction of agricultural mounds @ approximately 1800bp.

the anthony n. sagba award: (left right) simon receiving award on 5 may 2012; celebrations in honour of simon , award held @ hometown of st. cuthbert s mission on 11 may 2012.

in 2009, simon, whitehead, heckenberger , david steadman (curator @ florida museum of natural history) undertook pilot archaeological study of 4 occupation sites along berbice river. testing of ceramic , organic materials sites gave radiocarbon date of ca. 5000bp (3,000 years bce). these dates placed materials among oldest recovered in greater amazonia region. such, whitehead explained berbice archaeology project (ongoing) promised substantially change current understanding of long-term human occupation in tropics, , particularly important role arawakan peoples may have played in process . michael mansoor, chairman of ansa awards eminent persons panel, said project might cause history books pre-columbian past of americas radically rewritten .