This dissertation investigates the functioning of human-animal interactions at precolumbian Indigenous sites located in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The five case studies that comprise this... Show moreThis dissertation investigates the functioning of human-animal interactions at precolumbian Indigenous sites located in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. The five case studies that comprise this work investigate the mortality ages and morphologies of animals, and the dietary linkages between humans and several animal species commonly found in archaeological sites throughout the Greater Antilles such as domesticated dogs and possibly managed endemic rodents known as hutias. Isotopic analysis of animal remains was conducted to determine the consumption of maize as a proxy for investigating closeness in human-animal interactions. In the frame of niche construction theory, the evidence presented in this dissertation relates to the environmental practices of Indigenous peoples. Slash-and-burn farming was a widely practiced environmental management strategy throughout the region which likely created mosaiced plant communities consisting of garden plots and old-growth forest. These mixed anthropogenic and natural environments have been shown to be beneficial to some dietary generalists, and the abundance of hutias in archaeological sites might be the result of ‘garden hunting’ of species that benefited from horticultural practices. This may have constituted a form of animal management that is tied to plant food production, and therefore represents an arguably sustainable form of low-level food production. Show less
The author of this meticulously researched work surveys the possibilities of functional analysis of shell implements. Her study of shell tools, as well as flint and stone tools, from the pre... Show moreThe author of this meticulously researched work surveys the possibilities of functional analysis of shell implements. Her study of shell tools, as well as flint and stone tools, from the pre-Columbian sites of Anse à la Gourde and Morel, Guadeloupe draws on archaeological, ethnographical,ethnohistorical and experimental data.The results of the functional analysis of all artifact categories are presented, as well as a reconstruction of the technological system in the pre-Columbian period. She demonstrates the value of this integral approach in shedding light on the choices made in the past on tool use and the utilisation of different raw materials 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
