Archaeology

Adolfo Lopez - Archaeologist

Adolfo Lopez is a familiar sight in the La Romana area. He is an archaeologist and avid scuba diver. He has worked tirelessly with the Hotel Association to foster good environmental habits to help preserve the areas cultural past.

The earliest inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola, on which the Dominican Republic is located, were the Taínos. The Taínos are pre-Colombian indigenous inhabitants of the Bahamas, Greater Antilles and some of the Lesser Antilles. The word Tainos comes directly from Christopher Coloumbus, who, encountering these peace loving people on his first voyage named them "taino" meaning "good" or "noble."

When Christopher Columbus arrived in Hispaniola in 1492, there were five Taino kingdoms. By the 1700's the Tainos had been decimated by the introduction of diseases and forced to work as labourers for the Spanish in sugar plantations.

Today, everthing is being done to preserve and learn more about these indigenous people. Several archaeological dig sites are located throughout the La Romana area.