Aishalton
| Aishalton | |
|---|---|
| Amerindian Village | |
 Aishalton
|
|
| Coordinates: 2°31′N 59°15′W / 2.517°N 59.250°W | |
| Country |
 Guyana
|
| Region | Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo |
| Sub-section | South/Deep South |
| Government | |
| • Toshao | Hildebrand James |
| Elevation | 614 ft (187 m) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Total | 1,063 |
| • Ethnicities | Wapishana |
Aishalton is an Amerindian village that is situated in the Rupununi savannah of southern Guyana, in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region (Region 9) of the country. It is the administrative centre for the southern sub-district of Region 9. In 2002, an official census recorded a population of 1,063 people in Aishalton, making it the second most highly populated village in Region 9 (after Lethem), and the most populated village in the southern sub-district. The village is predominantly inhabited by Wapishana peoples.
Makatau mountain, which is situated approximately 3 km outside Aishalton village, is one of Guyana's most well-known archaeological sites. It is particularly well known for the numerous petroglyphs (known locally as "timehri") that are found on Makatau and on rock-formations in the surrounding area. In the 1970s, the Guyanese anthropologist, Denis Williams, undertook a detailed archaeological study of the area. His research uncovered 686 petroglyphs (known as the "Aishalton Petroglyphs") that are mainly representations of humans, animals and plants as well as geometric arrangements. Williams estimated the date of the petroglyphs at 3000–5000 BCE, and described them as belonging to a specific "type" of petroglyph—subsequently referred to as the "Aishalton type"—that is defined by a distinctively figurative style. Williams also discovered 84 stone tools that had been used in the carving of the petroglyphs. They were the first tools of this kind to be found in Guyana.
Aishalton village is located in the Rupununi savannah lands in the South of Guyana, at an altitude of 187 metres. Neighbouring villages are Karaudanawa to the west and Awarewaunau to the east. Lethem, the regional capital of the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo region, is situated 180 km north west of Aishalton; and Dadanawa Ranch is located approximately halfway between these two centres.
The main transport route between Aishalton and the Guyana coastlands (the most populated region of Guyana, and the home of the country's capital, Georgetown) is the unpaved Linden-Lethem Road. From Lethem, travelers use private vehicles to traverse the 180 km dirt track between Lethem and Aishalton. Up until 2008, the Rupununi River Bridge at Katoonarib afforded a crossing-point between Aishalton and Lethem. In 2008 however, the bridge—which cost 16 million Guyanese dollars to construct—collapsed. In the 1990s an Airplane landing strip was built in Aishalton. The IATA airport code of the Aishalton Airstrip is AHL.
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