You are here

National Park Mystery Photo 14 Revealed: A Brainy Block

Brain corals were a common building material during the colonial plantation period in the Caribbean. Kurt Repanshek photo.

During the colonial days of the West Indies, building supplies were much in demand. Ingenious builders looked to the sea for some of their construction materials, and came away with a particularly good item, one that started out pliable but soon turned to rock. Or at least rock-like.

Brain corals, so named for their brain-tissue-like patterns, could be cut from the ocean when soft and pliable, and when dried they became rock-like, a perfect building material for the sugar plantations that the Danes built across the Caribbean. This particular block can be found in the ruins of the Annaberg Sugar Plantation at Virgin Islands National Park.

Comments

I don't think the Danes built much in the Caribbean... maybe the Dutch are whom you are referring to.


Sorry, Anonymous, it was indeed the Danes. Here's some history: http://www.seestjohn.com/culture_english.html


Add comment

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.