The Arrival of the Archaic Indigenous Peoples in Curaçao

More than 5,700 years ago, the first inhabitants reached Curaçao from the nearby South American mainland, in the region of present-day Venezuela. They lived on what nature provided. They gathered fruits and shellfish and found food along the coast.

They made tools from stone, coral and shells. Rock shelters offered protection. Archaeological discoveries help us understand how these early inhabitants lived.