Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center (Ponce)

 museum, archaeological site, interesting place

The Tibes Indigenous Ceremonial Center (Centro Ceremonial Indígena de Tibes) in Barrio Tibes, Ponce, Puerto Rico, is one of the most important archeological discoveries made in the Antilles. The discovery provides an insight as to how the indigenous tribes of the Igneri and Tainos lived and played during and before the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the New World. Tibes is the oldest Antillean Indian ceremonial and sports complex yet uncovered in Puerto Rico. Within its boundaries is also the largest indigenous cemetery yet discovered – consisting of 186 human skeletons, most from the Igneri and the rest from the pre-Taino cultures. Based on the orientation of the ceremonial plazas, this is also believed to be the oldest astronomical observatory in the Antilles.