The northern region of Hispaniola is one the most referenced areas in Caribbean archaeology and historiography. Nevertheless, its central presence in textbooks belies a lack of understanding in... Show moreThe northern region of Hispaniola is one the most referenced areas in Caribbean archaeology and historiography. Nevertheless, its central presence in textbooks belies a lack of understanding in both disciplines of the complex history of the region. The research presented here reassesses the interactions that occurred among the multiform indigenous communities (Meillacoid and Chicoid) that inhabited the region during the pre-Columbian period. A focus on these interactions forms the basis of an approach that can differentiate this region from others on Hispaniola and the Western Caribbean. It also links this research to recent Pan-Caribbean approaches, such as those employed by the Caribbean Research Group at the University of Leiden. As a result this research attempts to go beyond the traditional diachronic studies used in indigenous archaeology and rather will take a synchronic perspective. This highlights such issues as inter-group communication, competency, transculturation and syncretism that emerge from the Caribbean pre-Columbian multicultural mosaic. All of this is derived from an in-depth study of the cultural landscape in northern Hispaniola and nuances in material culture expressions, especially ceramic formal and stylistic traditions. Show less
