By JASMIN BONIMY, Guardian Staff reporter

jasmin@nasguard.com

Bones found at Eleuthera's Preacher's Cave are still undergoing testing to confirm that they are the centuries old remains of a Lucayan Indian and Eleutheran Adventurer.

A team of Miami-Dade archaeologists discovered what is believed to be the 500-year-old skeletal remains of a Lucayan Indian lying inches away from the remains of a 350-year-old Eleutheran Adventurer just 150 meters beneath the cave's floor last March. Jeff Ransom, a Miami Dade archaeologist who was present at the Preachers Cave dig, told The Guardian yesterday, "The analysis of the human remains is still in the works."

Meanwhile the Bahamian government has said that they hope to transform the world-renowned cave into a national preservation park. Speaking at a press conference to announce the American-based archaeological team's findings, Tourism official in Eleuthera, Raymond Harrison, said the park would benefit locals as well as visitors.

"We are looking to make this a national park because we want Bahamians to come and enjoy the cave as well," said Mr Harrison. "What we have here is well beyond our imagination," he continued. "It lends itself not only to Bahamians and regular visitors but we are looking at historians, archaeologists, and university students who study here. So it is important that we look at what we have here."

Mr Harrison also revealed that the new park would entail a caretaker's house and 12 cabanas along the ridge area. He added that the government was also looking into developing nearby land, which is owned by the island's Commonage Committee.

But newly appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism John Carey has admitted that the government has not set a definite timeline to begin work on the proposed park.

Eleuthera's Preachers Cave gained its name and notoriety in 1968 after Captain William Sayles and 75 settlers left Bermuda to settle in a place where they could practice religion freely.

The group, which later came to be known as the Eleutheran Adventurers, was ship wrecked in a storm. One man was drowned and the others managed to find shelter in the cave. A religious ceremony was later held there on the anniversary of the wreck in thanksgiving for their safe passage.