Los Roques

During the later centuries before European contact, Los Roques belonged to a maritime network reaching from Venezuela's north-central coast into the offshore islands. Archaeological camps dating between about 1000 and 1500 show repeated visits by mainland Indigenous seafarers. From around 1200, Valencioid communities became especially prominent, establishing their principal camp on the small island of Dos Mosquises.

Queen conch was a major object of these voyages. Islanders brought stone tools and other materials from the mainland; hammerstones may have helped prepare shell pieces for bead-making. The camps were temporary, constrained by the scarcity of fresh water and cultivable soil. Their remains reveal a seaborne economy in which skilled crews crossed open water to exploit marine resources, carrying tools and cultural practices between the islands and the mainland.