This work discusses the exchange of stone materials and artefacts among the northern Lesser Antilles during the Ceramic Age (500 BC - AD 1492). Through the systematic analysis of source materials... Show moreThis work discusses the exchange of stone materials and artefacts among the northern Lesser Antilles during the Ceramic Age (500 BC - AD 1492). Through the systematic analysis of source materials and a comparison of these with lithic artefacts, the provenance of a significant portion of stone material found at a number of prehistoric Amerindian habitation sites located on different islands from Puerto Rico to Martinique was determined. Following this the distribution of three specific materials, including a variety of flint from Long Island, Antigua, a grey-green mudstone and a multi-coloured conglomerate, both form St. Martin, were specified. These distribution patterns along with data on the production of the artefacts were used to determine the mode of exchange that was responsible for their spread. From these data it appeared that inter-island exchange was a recurrent feature among Amerindian society in the Caribbean throughout the entire Ceramic Age. Furthermore the differences in distributions through time could be related to changes in socio-political organisation within the region and supported the notion of increasing competition within society. Show less
The archaeological study, investigating pre-Columbian social organisation and interaction on Pointe des Châteaux, La Désirade and Petite Terre (Guadeloupe, F.W.I.), is based on an intensive,... Show moreThe archaeological study, investigating pre-Columbian social organisation and interaction on Pointe des Châteaux, La Désirade and Petite Terre (Guadeloupe, F.W.I.), is based on an intensive, systematic inventory through surface observations for the complete research area instead of using excavation data from settlements only, as is common in Caribbean archaeology. This resulted in an extended site catalogue and insight in the local occupation history until the arrival of Europeans. The earliest occupational evidence dates from AD 400. People lived in coastal settlements and ate tubers, (shell)fish, land animals, birds, fruits and seeds. The food economy hardly changed hereafter. Long distance contacts, reaching the South-American mainland, existed. After AD 600/850 the number of villages increased and special locations for ceremonial and other activities were established. Many villages were coastal, some were inland. One village assumed a central role. Long distance contacts (reaching the mainland and the Greater Antilles) continued to exist. Intensive short distance contacts first appear. From AD 1200/1300 population decreased, probably as result of developing complex societies on the Greater Antilles. People lived on high elevations. Long distance contacts and local networks continued to exist. After the end of the 15th century, the research area was no longer inhabited by Amerindians. Show less
This study consists of a contextual analysis of a group of Central Anatolian Neolithic settlements that includes the sites of Aşıklı Höyük, Canhasan III, Çatalhöyük,Erbaba, and Canhasan I, and can... Show moreThis study consists of a contextual analysis of a group of Central Anatolian Neolithic settlements that includes the sites of Aşıklı Höyük, Canhasan III, Çatalhöyük,Erbaba, and Canhasan I, and can be dated between 8500 and 5500 Calibrated BC. These settlements are characterised by a spatial organisation in which buildings are grouped in neighbourhood clusters and in which an estimated 30 to 40 households would have lived. These neighbourhoods lack streets, and the buildings within them were accessed from the roof level. The study explores the social significance of this form of organisation of settlement space at a number of levels. First, the nature of the individual buildings and how these related to household is investigated. Second, non-domestic features in these settlements, such as sub-floor burials, are contextualised in order to identify status differentiation between buildings. Third, the scale and composition of clustered neighbourhoods is studied, to arrive at a better understanding of their significance. Finally, the manner in which neighbourhoods in a settlement related to one another and the ways in which settlements were part of larger settlement systems is considered. In this manner new light is shed on the social structure of these Central Anatolian Neolithic communities Show less
The book offers a detailed presentation of the ceramic sequence excavated at Tell Sabi Abyad, a late Neolithic archaeological site in northern Syria. This sequence documents the transformation from... Show moreThe book offers a detailed presentation of the ceramic sequence excavated at Tell Sabi Abyad, a late Neolithic archaeological site in northern Syria. This sequence documents the transformation from a Pre-Halaf ceramic assemblage to an Early Halaf ceramic assemblage. The author discusses and critiques existing models for explaining the rise of the Halaf pottery style, and offers an alternative based on the twin concepts of emulation and feasting. Show less
