Coamo Prehistoric Villages

For centuries, Coamo had a numerous indigenous population, mostly located along the Cuyón and Coamo Rivers. Archaeologists have study several villages, among them:

• Baños de Coamo, located by the hot springs, on the other side of the river.
  
  
• Buenos Aires, located at Buenos Aires Street, south of downtown. Has an area of 4 cuerdas. A large amount of shellfish remains were found in this village, possibly form the village of El Cayito on the shores of Santa Isabel (south of Coamo).
  
  
• Cuyón, located at barrio Cuyón (about 7 km from downtown). Contains a large Taino plaza and two additional plazas, in addition to artefacts like concheros, Taino pottery, cemies, human skeletons, axes and necklaces. Caves used as dwellings were also found.
  
  
• Las Flores, located in the West end of the Las Flores sector in barrio San Ildenfonso. Although most of the artefacts found belong to the ostionoide or subtaína culture, artefacts of the igneri or saladoide culture were also found. The site contains a plaza similar to the plaza at Caguana, Utuado. It was estimated that the population fluctuated between 60 y 100 people.

There was a strong communication between the fishing village El Cayito at Santa Isabel and the villages along the Cuyón and Coamo rivers, up to the village Toíta at the territory of the chief of Cayey. The natives of this villages were very fond of shellfish, leaving shellfish remains as a testimony of the commerce between villages.

Some of the artefacts found at the Las Flores village suggests an important chief live in the region. It is possible that his name was Macuya, although this has not being proved.A commemorative monument in the main plaza of Coamo reads (English translation):

TAINO CHIEF
HONOUR TO THE MEMORY OF THE CHIEF
MACUYA
AND ALL THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COAMO
THEIR MEMORY LIVES IN THE COAMEÑOS' BLOOD AND HEART