In June, we told you about the two Rockstone Pond Villagers known as Winston and Busta. The pair can claim fame as the two unrecognized site workers who found the jade head in 1968. Thanks to our story they have received their recognition for that, but now they want due recognition for a village resident who played an equally important and unrecognized role in bringing Altun Ha to the forefront. Here's the story and the legend of Benjamin Audinett.
Winston Butler,
"I would say that he was the one that caused the ruins in Rockstone Pond to be worked."
In fact what you see here today, the iconic main plaza and structure B-4 at Altun Ha owes its discovery to Audinett who in 1958 was collecting stones from mounds behind his house to sell to the government for crushing.
Winston Butler,
"While he was collecting stones, he and his grandson, he came across a green piece of object. I cannot say jade, he cannot say jade, because in those days, I am telling you the truth, I or nobody that lives around didn't know what was jade."
What he found was a small-carved pendant, something similar to this one. At the time an item like this was wholly mysterious and only years later did he do something with it.
Winston Butler,
"He had that thing for many years until one day he took it to Mr. Price in Belize. I was at Mr. Price's office the very day that Dr. Pendergast and the archaeologist, Mr. Anderson, met Mr. Price. When they were finished, Mr. Anderson gave me a message to Mr. Audinett and likewise Dr. Pendergast. He told me that he wanted me to tell Mr. Audinett that I (Mr. Anderson) will visit his home tomorrow."
When Archaeological Commissioner A.H. Anderson and David Pendergast visited Audinett, they had many questions.
Winston Butler,
"They came and they talked and I heard when Mr. Anderson asked Mr. Audinett where did he find the piece of pendant. Mr. Audinett said it was back of his place and he showed them the place. They asked him who he came to find it and Mr. Audinett replied that it was because he and his grandson were digging stones. They asked him if he had the authority to dig stone and he said yes. He said government gave him all the small hill and that's why he was digging and he found the stone. Mr. Audinett told them he could taken it and you or nobody would have known that I found it but I am not that type of person. So there and then after we came back out from the bush, Pendergast asked if they weren't bigger hills around. Mr. Audinett said yes. We came them the road."
Jules Vasquez,
At that time everything here was completely bush, forest.
Winston Butler,
"Big forest. So we came and we looked on all the major structures."
Jules Vasquez,
It was all mounds at the time.
Winston Butler,
"Yes, they were covered with big trees. You couldn't see nothing, just high mounds."
And from those densely overgrown mounds to the grandeur that we know today. That's where the journey began. When Pendergast saw what was before him, he hired Audinett on the spot.
Winston Butler,
"He said to Mr. Audinett that he wanted him to build a small house for me. He said he would come back and work for three weeks."
That house was built right where this larger shed and housing area is today, just a stone's throw from the famous structure B-4. And that first three weeks would turn into a vastly fruitful 12 year excavation with Pendergast at the helm for 7 of those years. And a then 22 year old Winston Butler was first hired as a water boy.
Winston Butler,
"I was working along with them as a water boy. I took water to the different men who were working. He worked for three weeks and what was our pay in those days? $3 per day, $21 per week because we didn't work Sunday but they paid us for Sunday."
They finished working that three weeks and Pendergast realized that this was a major site. He came back the following January 12 of 1964 and they worked seasonally for years until the Jade Head discovery in 1968 - a discovery which was famously made by these two men - Winston Butler and Wilhelm 'Buster' Herbert. And while they treasure that recognition, they give it up to their village elder, Benjamin Audinett.
Winston Butler,
"So I say that if wasn't for Mr. Audinett, work would not have started not quick. Probably it would have started but maybe not so quick. So I could say that Mr. Audinett, also my partner and I, we need to be recommended. Mr. Audinett has long passed now so he is out of the picture but as the song says, 'you don't have to wait until the man is dead to tell him he is good.'" [Chuckles]
Related Story
. RockStone Villagers Came to Have Discovered Jade Head
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
