Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou, West Indies

247

Precoluntbian Settlentents on CarriacouWest Indies

Scott M Fitzpatrick North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina

MichielI(appers In-Terris Site Technics Amsterdam Netherlands

Quetta I(aye University College London London England

Christina M Giovas University of Washington Seattle Washington

Michelle J LeFebvre University of Florida Gainesville Florida

Mary Hill Harris University of Cambridge Cambridge England

Scott Burnett Eckerd College St Petersburg Florida

Jennifer A Pavia California State University Northridge California

I(athleen Marsaglia California State University Northridge California

James Feathers University of Washington Seattle Washington

The first systematic archaeological investigation of Precolumbian sites on the island of Car-riacou in the West Indies provides a rich source of information regarding Amerindian set-tlement in the southern Caribbean Herein) we report resultsfrom an island-wide surveyand subsequent excavation at two laJlJevillage sites-Grand Bay and Sabazan-that pro-vide evidencefor an intensive late Ceramic Age occupation dating between CAL AD

400-1200 Results from four seasonsof excavation at Grand Bay and two at Sabazanindicate that inhabitants colonized the island later than laJlJernearby islands (althoughan earlier settlement ispossible))middotwere engaged in inter-island and South American inter-actions as evidenced through analysis ofpottery) stylistic artifacts) and faunal remains)middotexploited a variety of marine and terrestrial foods) including several animals rarely foundin the Antilles that were translocated to the island from elsewhereand buried their dead inand around shell middens and) at least once) under a habitable structure

Introduction

The Grenadine Islands located in the southern part ofthe Caribbean between St Vincent and Grenada are someof the most archaeologically rich but least understood is-lands in the Lesser Antilles (FIG I) Although antiquariansand avocational and professional archaeologists have visit-ed the Grenadines since the early 1900s archaeological re-search has been light and sporadic compared to other is-lands in the region (Fewkes 1914 Bullen and Bullen 1972IZeegan2000)

The Lesser Antilles are thought to have been settled bytwo major migratory events from South America first dur-ing the Archaic (ca 2000-500 BC) when foraging groupssettled islands primarily in the northern Antilles (eg An-tigua Saba) and secondly by ceramic-malcing horticultur-ists beginning around 400 Bclmown as Saladoid (IZee-gan 2000) The exact timing and structure of these two mi-grations is still unclear (IZeegan 2000 Callaghan 2001Fitzpatrick 2006) particularly for islands south of Mar-tinique (eg St Lucia St Vincent Barbados Grenada)

248 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou) VJlestIndiesFitzpatrick et al

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Figure 1 Map of the eastern Caribbean with location of Carriacou

VENEZUELA

where there is no acceptable chronological evidence for ei-ther Archaic or early Saladoid (500 CAL BC-AD 1) peo-ple (Fitzpatrick 2006)

The prevailing explanation for a Saladoid migrationinto the Caribbean posits a northward movement fromSouth America into the Lesser Antilles in a stepping-stonefashion around 500400 CALBC however recent studiesusing computer simulations of seafaring (Callaghan 2001)and a reevaluation of radiocarbon chronologies (Fitz-patrick 2006) suggest that people may have voyaged di-recdy to the northern islands before moving south a phe-nomenon recognized earlier by I(eegan (2000) In addi-tion our work on the island of Carriacou in the southernGrenadines over the past five years has provided no evi-dence for a pre-AD 400 settlement Is this indicative of amigratory route that bypassed the southern Lesser Antillesor has a general paucity of research prevented us from lo-cating earlier sites

To test this hypothesis adequately it is critical to inten-

sively investigate islands in the southern Lesser AntillesQuestions remain as to whether the smaller islands of theCaribbean such as the Bahamas and Grenadines may havebeen less attractive to settlers over time due to various lim-itations or disadvantages in resource availability-eg fishsalt or fertile soils - that influenced colonization and set-tlement patterns Recent research by I(eegan et al (2008)suggests this may not be the case A major challenge in an-swering these questions is that many islands in theCaribbean are succumbing to coastal erosion due to a com-bination of human and natural influences that threaten todestroy the archaeological record (Fitzpatrick I(appersand I(aye 2006) A projected global rise in sea level willhave an impact on the preservation of Precolumbian sitesmost of which are found in low-lying coastal areas As a re-sult we must be active in collecting information from thesesites before they are lost

Our findings from the past five years amplify the im-portance that Carriacou and other smaller Caribbean is-

Journal of Field ArchaeologyjVol 34) 2009 249

()

Be

o

Figure 2 Map of Carriacou with site locations

lands have for understanding the routes and timing of Ce-ramic Age colonization in the West Indies the broader rolethat Carriacou played in various socio-religious and ex-change economies the direct connections that people onthe island had with South America as evidenced by thepresence of translocated animals and the size and intensi-ty of occupations over a thousand year period Our re-search provides a model for examining strategies that is-land peoples in the Caribbean and elsewhere (eg the Pa-cific) developed to exploit local resources and adapt to newenvironments by importing non-native animals

Carriacou

Environment and HistoryCarriacou lies approximately 200 km north of

Venezuela and 30 km north of Grenada (FIGS I 2) It isthe largest island in the Grenadines measuring 104 km

N-S 87 km at its widest point and is roughly 32 sq km inarea Along with Petite Martinique Carriacou is one ofthree islands that are politically part of Grenada Geologi-cally Carriacou lies on the southern Lesser Antilles plat-form between two active volcanoes of the Lesser Antillesmagmatic arc-the subaerial St Soufriere Volcano on StVincent (Heath et al 1998b) and the submarine volcanolZickem Jenny between Grenada and Carriacou (Heath etal 1998a)

The name Carriacou (I(ayryouacou) derives from an in-digenous word meaning the land of (many) reefs Priorto a visit by French explorer Jean Baptiste du Tertre in1656 who remarked that it was the most beautiful of allthe little isles (1667 41) not much was known of the is-land Du Tertre stayed long enough to note that the islandwas capable of sustaining a colony and provided shelteredbays but made no mention of meeting islanders during hisvisit (although the nearby island of Grenada had been paci-

m and contains remnants of a large village site with densemiddens (FIG 3) So far we have excavated approximately400 sq m (45 cu m) at Grand Bay primarily along thecoastal profile which is eroding (ca 1 m per annum)largely due to sand mining by locals (FIGS 4 5) (Fitz-patrick IZappers and IZaye 2006) In 2007 we began ex-cavation of Sabazan along the SE coast

250 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou) West IndiesFitzpatrick et al

Figure 3 View of Grand Bay looking south Note archaeological remains in foreground including pot-tery and shell fragments Photo by S M Fitzpatrick

fied by the French within the previous few years) DuTertre reports that Louis de Poincy arrived in Grenada in1650 with a company of men and after a few days the is-lands chief IZaierouane agreed to a treaty and voluntarycessation of violence (du Tertre 1667 41)

ArchaeologyThe first attempts to document Carriacous Pre-

columbian occupation were by Bullen and Bullen (1972)and Sutty (1990) whose visits were brief and cursory In-tensive archaeological investigation on Carriacou began in2003 with an island-wide survey by Quetta IZaye MichielIZappers and Scott Fitzpatrick to relocate or identify set-tlement sites (IZaye 2003 IZaye Fitzpatrick and IZappers20042005) In total six major and six minor areas of Pre-columbian activity were recorded Excavation has beenconcentrated primarily on Grand Bay along the east coast(FIG 2) The site covers an area of approximately 6000 sq

Cultural ChronologyA total of 21 charcoal shell and human bone samples

from three sites have been radiocarbon dated comple-menting a single date (RL-29) reported by Bullen andBullen (1972 see also Fitzpatrick IZaye and IZappers2004) (TABLE I) The radiocarbon dates suggest that the is-land was first settled by ceramic-malcing peoples during theTerminal Saladoid period sometime between CAL AD

390-500 (IZeegan 2000) Subsequent dates span CAL AD

470-1410 with most dates falling within the Troumassan


CarriacQu Grand Bay 2008

Feature

Excavated trench

-- Coast line with year indication

Shrub and trees

Uneroded grass surface

Partly eroded midden

Subsoil visible due to erosion

Sea and beach----2005

-----2006

T----2007

=1----------- 2008

Figure 4 Map of southern part of Grand Bay showing erosion lines six 5 x 5 m excavation unitsand major features

2004

Troumassoid subseries of ceramic styles (ca AD

600-1000) and a few in the Suazan Troumassoid (CAL

AD 1000-1400) Two luminescence dates on potsherds

date to CAL AD 900 and 1200 (TABLE 2) these lie with-in the temporal span of the radiocarbon dates but threedates on inhaling bowl fragments are much older ca 430

portions of different sherd characteristics with stratigraph-ic position in an attempt to distinguish chronologicaltrends

The two most common wares in all excavated strata area slipped ware whose surface varies between pale brown toa darker reddish-brown and a ware which is scratchedthrough a slipped smoothed or polished surface Sherdthickness is remarkably consistent but sherds are some-what thinner in lower strata Over half of the sherds are be-tween 7 and 12 mm thiclc Decoration shows more varia-tion between strata including Caliviny Polychrome and StLucia Zoned Incised (FIG 6) which is replaced by finger-marking in later strata Monochrome red rims appear inlower strata and grooving occurs throughout There areoccasional sherds of white-on-red (WaR) but these be-

252 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacouy West IndiesFitzpatrick et al

Figure 5 View of Grand Bay looking north across Trench 446 in 2007 Note the eastern section oftrench which has eroded significantly since excavation began in 2005 largely as a result of sand miningwhich can be seen taking place just up the beach Photo by S M Fitzpatrick

plusmn 190 BC suggesting they may be heirlooms transportedto the island (Fitzpatrick et al 2009)

Results

Ceramics

MACROSCOPIC ANALYSIS

Typical of Precolumbian archaeological sites in theCaribbean the most abundant artifact found in survey andexcavation on Carriacou is pottery Over 31000 sherdshave been examined macroscopically (about 25 percent ofthe total number collected) Macroscopic examination wascarried out according to a method developed in Barbadosby Harris (Drewett 1991 39-41) which compares pro-

Table 1 Radiocarbon dates from Carriacou


Sample no Location Lab no Type Species Unit Layer cmbs Bejl2c ratio Measured 14C age CAL BGAD (2 cr)- Sabazan RL-29 charcoal - - - - - 940 plusmn 100 AD 890-1280CAR-l Sabazan GX-30423 shell Cpica profile VI 160 24 1400 plusmn 60 AD 870-1160CAR-2 Sabazan GX-30424 shell Sgigas profile X 200 02 1570 plusmn 60 AD 690-970CAR-3 Sabazan GX-30425 shell Cpica profile XI 230 25 1460 plusmn 60 AD 790-1060CAR-4 Sabazan OS-41358 charcoal - profile X 215 -2394 1030 plusmn 30 AD 1290-1410CAR-13 Sabazan AA-67529 charcoal - profile XI 53-108 -256 988 plusmn 42 AD 980-1160CAR-14 Sabazan AA-67530 charcoal - profile XI 53-108 -256 1039 plusmn 35 AD 895-1120CAR-IS Sabazan AA-67531 charcoal - profile XIII 108-115 -246 1133 plusmn 38 AD 780-990CAR-16 Sabazan AA-67532 charcoal - profile XIII 108-115 (-25) 1073 plusmn 38 AD 890-1020CAR-17 Sabazan AA-67533 charcoal - proftle XIV 115-154 (-25) 1172 plusmn 36 AD 770-970CAR-18 Sabazan AA-67534 charcoal - proftle XIV 115-154 -246 1333 plusmn 57 AD 600-780CAR-19 Sabazan AA-67535 charcoal - proftle XV 149-164 -248 1588 plusmn 36 AD 400-550CAR-20 Sabazan AA-67536 charcoal - proftle XV 149-164 -258 1584 plusmn 36 AD 410-560CAR-5 Grand Bay AA-62278 shell Cpica 447 XV 145 253 1917 plusmn 37 AD 390-590CAR-6 Grand Bay AA-62279 charcoal - 447 VI 110 -2513 1243 plusmn 36 AD 680-880CAR-7 Grand Bay AA-62280 shell Venussp 447 VI 127 339 1789 plusmn 38 AD 530-690CAR-7 Grand Bay AA-62280 shell Venussp 447 VI 127 336 1822 plusmn 41 AD 470-670CAR-8 Grand Bay AA-62281 charcoal - 447 VI 93 -2396 1339 plusmn 36 AD 640-770CAR-9 Grand Bay AA-62282 charcoal - F016 - - -2597 1227 plusmn 36 AD 690-890CAR-I0 Grand Bay AA-62283 bone human child F006 - - -1421 1062 plusmn 44 AD 1050-1250

(rt fibula)CAR-12 Grand Bay Beta-206685 shell Sgigas N profile - 108 21 1870 plusmn 70 AD 390-670

(juvenile)CAR-21 Grand Bay Beta-233647 shell Cpica 415 V - 18 870 plusmn 40 AD 1020-1190CAR-ll Harvey Vale AA-62284 bone human - - - -1255 1027 plusmn 46 AD 1060-1280

(rt ulna)

Table 2 Luminescence dates from Carriacou

Sample no Layer cmbs Equivalent dose (Gy)Lab noLocation UnitType Dose ratet (Gyjka) Age (ka) Calendar dateceramicceramicceramicceramic

3

571plusmn053890plusmn071

Sq24 634plusmn08945 251plusmn020 (OSL)

289plusmn077 (TL)227 plusmn 030 (OSL) 358 plusmn 021258plusmn047 (TL)

The equivalent dose for UW1440 and UW1441 was determined from thermoluminescence (TL) while that for UWl442 was determined fromoptically stimulated luminescence (OSL) OSL on UW1440 and UW1441 produced anomalously old values while TL data on UW1442 were incon-sistent and probably reflect anomalous fading Equivalent dose for both TL and OSL are given for UW1732 and UW1733 since the ages derivedfrom either are in statistical agreement although the TL for UW1732 had to be corrected for anomalous fading The ages for both samples areweighted averagestThe external dose rate for UWl440 and UW1441 could not be measured because of uncertain provenience Values from UW1442 were used forthese samples but the uncertainty in this is not expected to affect the ages by more than about 300 years

surfacesurface415

SMF-TL-lSMF-TL-2SMF-TL-3SMF-TL-4

CHS museum UW1440CHS museum UW1441Grand Bay UW1442Grand Bay US1732

US1733 ceramicSMF-TL-9 Grand Bay

come less important in younger strata The early Saladoidmarker Zoned Incised Cross-Hatch (ZIC) is present butso far only three examples have been observed on theisland

Rim types are consistent through time with simple un-thickened unflanged rims representing about half of allrims found The majority of diagnostic sherds are fromopen or hemispherical bowls A few plates or flat dishesand bell-shaped bowls were also found Simple mostly un-decorated incense burners also occur in all strata especial-ly Layer 05 and a few fragments of nostril inhaling ves-

218plusmn013 262plusmn029533plusmn030 231plusmn036289plusmn020 219plusmn03531plusmn013 114plusmn010

610plusmn290 BC310plusmn360 BC190plusmn345 BCAD 870plusmn 101

45 AD 1212plusmn95080plusmn009

selshave been found aswell as one or two spouts from larg-er vessels

Perhaps because they are relatively solid spindle whorlsare abundant Numerous body stamps have also beenfound including circular or doughnut-shaped types withconcentric-circle motifs though other shapes are present(FIG 6) These body stamps are found on many islands-some from Carriacou are similar to ones in St Lucia(Friesinger 1986 fig 3) and Guadeloupe (Hofman et al2004 fig 3) Rarer ceramic fmds include adornos (modeledappliques of animals or zoomorphs attached to the rims of

(used for cooking cassava or possibly maize bread) havebeen identified

Ware types from the upper strata at Grand Bay are sim-ilar to those excavated by Bullen at Savanne Suazey Grena-da and at Fitz-Hughs St Vincent (Bullen 1964 5-17Bullen and Bullen 1972 51) which have much in com-mon with sherds from Golden Grove in Tobago (Boomert2005) In sum ceramics from Grand Bay consist primari-ly of Troumassan Troumassoid and Suazan Troumassoidtypes corresponding to the radiocarbon dates while ma-terial taken from the profile at greater depths (in the 2003survey) indicates that the island may have been occupiedduring the early Ceramic Age No Cayo (post-Suazan caAD 1400-1500) ceramics have been identified thus far

254 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou) vvest IndiesFitzpatrick et al

Figure 6 A) Suazan Troumassoid adorno B) Ceramic body stampand C) Partially reconstructed St Lucia Zone Incised bowl Photos byQ Kaye

vessels) (FIG 6) divided double vessels a perforated pes-tle and two sherds which seem to be from footed ring sup-ports The latter are known from St Lucia and St Vincent(Boomert 2005 41) and a single example from Barbados(Drewett 2000 49 fig 41) Relatively few griddle sherds

COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS

Thin-section petrography and instrumental neutron ac-tivation analysis (INAA) of two suites of ceramic sherdsfrom Carriacou-predominantly from Grand Bay-sug-gest that pottery was made from non-local materials usingigneous rock fragments as temper Two major chemicalgroups were identified with INAA although nearly 18are outliers that could not be assigned to either composi-tional group Only 14 of the sherds from both suites werestylistically identified of these none appear to fall into anycompositional pattern based on temporality or cultural de-sign with early (Saladoid) middle (Troumassan Troumas-soid) and late (Suazan Troumassoid) periods falling intoboth major compositional groups This suggests that pre-historic potters demonstrated little preference in seekingout specific clay or temper resources although clay and ad-ditional ceramic samples are necessary to test this morethorougWy Carriacou temper characteristics from Sabazanand Grand Bay best fit a previously unidentified plagio-clase-rich rock source probably associated with volcanic is-lands to the north (Fitzpatrick et al 2008)

Non-Ceramic ArtifactsA diverse array of non-ceramic artifacts has also been re-

covered Grand Bay has yielded 257 objects of modifiedstone bone shell and coral including tools ornamentsand ritual paraphernalia In test pitting at Sabazan 36 suchobjects have been recovered

Formal shell and stone tools and tool preforms havebeen recovered from Grand Bay (n = 32) and Sabazan (n= 5) Shell tools are more common and include scrapersmanufactured from top snail and conch as well as adzesmade from the shaped and polished lip of mature Strombusgigas (queen conch) shells (FIG 7) The presence of conchadzes in various stages of the reduction sequence points totheir manufacture on site Complete and partial stone

Journal ofFieldArchaeologyjVol 34) 2009 255

Figure 7 Shell adzes recovered from Grand Bay Photo by Q Kaye

adzes have also been excavated from both sites althoughthese are rare (n = 2) relative to their shell counterpartsAdditionally numerous small unretouched flal(es are pre-sent Some of these specimens are chert and may represent

the teeth of grater-boards used to process root crops orthey may simply be debitage (several retouched tools inthis raw material have been recovered)

Ornaments and items of personal adornment include

256 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou) lIVestIndiesFitzpatrick et al

Figure 8 Two stone cemis found at Grand Bay Photo by Q Kaye

shaped polished and pierced discs and beads in stone andshell Lapidary objects made from locally available crystalquartz and red and green stone occur at both sites Strom-bus shell appears to have been employed widely for orna-ments and was used in the manufacture of a vomit spatularecovered in the 2008 season Also common are Olivashells which have had the spire removed and the bodywhorl pierced through possibly for suspension as a pen-dant or use as a net weight

The 13 bone artifacts include an awl made from a birdlong bone stylized pieces carved with linear designs and insome cases perforated and several objects manufacturedfrom turtle bone Grand Bay artisans took advantage of theflat plane of turtle plastron for the manufacture of at leasttwo and possibly more vomit spatulas probably used forritual purification Plastron or carapace was also used tocreate five flattened oblong polished artifacts recoveredfrom Sabazan that have been interpreted as net-meshgauges or weaving tools

We have also recovered two complete and at least onefragmented three-pointed stones at Grand Bay (FIG 8)These objects are associated with Taino cosmology in tl1eGreater Antilles where they are interpreted as the physicalrepresentation of cemis or supernatural deities or spirits(IZeegan 2007) Europeans record that three-pointedstones were used by indigenous Caribbean peoples asfetishes imbued with magical powers and were retained bypregnant women to aid in childbirth buried in the earth toensure good harvest and like vomit spatulas are associat-ed with the cohoba ritual (ritual purification) (Olazagasti1997 Petitjean Roget 1997) Since finds of cemi stones arerelatively rare for this region their presence on Carriacouindicates that prehistoric occupants were integrated intothe general socio-religious belief system of the largerCaribbean area as suggested by Hofman et al (2008)

Vertebrates

Precolumbian inhabitants on Carriacou exploited awide range of vertebrate and invertebrate fauna While pat-terns in faunal exploitation follow general subsistencestrategies outlined for the Caribbean (Newsom and Wing2004) there is also evidence indicating anthropogenic an-imal translocations

Vertebrate exploitation at Grand Bay was focused onmarine taxa (LeFebvre 2007) unsurprisingly given GrandBays close proximity to multiple marine habitats includ-ing extensive coral reefs directly offshore and surroundingthe island nearshore shallow waters and offshore pelagichabitats (TABLE 3) Bony fish (Osteichthyes) are the mostabundant vertebrate class at the site Herrings (Clupeidae)jackfish (Carangidae) grunts (Haemulidae) parrotfish(Scaridae) and surgeonfish (Acanthuridae) dominate thevertebrate assemblage in terms of number of individualspecimens (NISP) Also present at Grand Bay and associ-ated with marine habitats are turtles (Cheloniidae) Secondto bony fish NISP values sea turtles are the most abundanttaxa at the family level

As presented in LeFebvre (2007) the average width ofprecaudal fish vertebrae identified to the family level is 31plusmn 17 mm with a range of 17-157 mm suggesting thatsmall-sized fish were a major source of dietary sustenance(Moseley 1972) Although no direct evidence of maritimefishing and hunting technologies such as fish hooks fi-brous net remains trap remnants or boats have been dis-covered at Grand Bay the majority of bony fish there arecommon in marine habitats suggesting that various fish-ing strategies were practiced including the use of boatsnets traps and hook and line fishing (Steadman et al1984 Grouard 1997 Newsom and Wing 2004) For ex-ample given the small-sized schooling fish specimens in-

Journal ofFieldArchaeologyjViJl 34) 2009 257

Table 3 Grand Bay vertebrate taxa from three 50 x 50 x 10 cm column samples (Tr 592 20 cmbs Tr 561 20 cmbsTr 446 30 cmbs) representing 075 cu m of deposits All samples were screened consecutively through 14 and 116 inmesh TR = terrestrial habitats AQ = aquatic habitats ISW = inshore shallow water habitats laquo 15 km offshore) CR= coral reef approximately 15 km offshore OFSPW = offshore andor pelagic waters (gt 15 km offshore)

Total Total TotalTaxon Common name Habitat NISP NISP MNI MNI Weght (g) weghtMammalia

Didelphis sp Oppossum TR 11 081 2 182 34 119Rodentia Rodent TR 15 110 - - 07 025Oryzomys sp Rice rat TR 21 154 4 364 09 031Agoutidae Agouti family TR 4 029 - - 16 055Dasyprocta sp Agouti TR 10 073 1 091 48 166cpound Dasyprocta sp compares to Agouti TR 1 007 - - 04 014

Total Identified Mammalia 62 454 7 636 118 410Unidentified Mammalia 50 - - - 246 -

AvesColumbidae Pigeon family TR 1 007 1 091 02 005

Total Identified Aves 1 007 1 091 02 005Unidentified Aves 12 - - - 21 -

ReptiliaCheloniidae Sea turtle ISW 89 652 1 091 1863 6463Iguanidae Iguana family TR 2 015 1 091 134 464Sauria Lizard TR 26 190 - - 24 085Serpentes Snake TR 5 037 1 091 01 003

Total Reptilia 122 894 3 273 2022 7014AmphibiaAnura Frogtoad TRjAQ 2 015 1 091 0 0

Total Amphibia 2 015 1 091 0 0ChondrichthyesChondrichthyes Shark ISWOFSPW 2 015 1 091 02 006

Total Chondrichthyes 2 015 1 091 02 006Osteichthyes

Clupeidae Herrings CRjOFSPW 331 2425 7 636 09 032Muraenidae Eels CR 1 007 1 091 0 0Exocoetidae Flying fish family OFSjPW 28 205 1 091 02 007Belonidae N eedlefish family CR 2 015 1 091 0 01H olocentrus rufus Squirrel fish CR 1 007 1 091 0 0Holocentrus sp Squirrel fish CR 4 029 - - 01 005Serranidae Grouper and Seabass family CR 6 044 - - 20 069Epinephelus sp Grouper CR 3 022 2 182 07 024Mycteroperca sp Grouper CR 1 007 1 091 26 092Carangidae Jack fish family CRjISW 40 293 - - 10 034Selar crumenopthalmus Bigeye scad CR 34 249 26 2364 05 016Caranx sp Jack fish CR 1 007 1 091 06 022Trachinotus sp Pompano CR 1 007 1 091 01 002Lutjanidae Snapper family CR 2 015 - - 01 003LutJanus apodus Schoolmaster CR 1 007 1 091 0 001LutJanus sp Snapper CR 8 059 3 273 01 005cpound Ocyurus chrysurus compares to Yellowtail snapper CR 1 007 1 091 0 0Haemulidae Grunt family CR 24 176 - - 35 121Haemulon aurolineatum Tomtate CR 1 007 1 091 0 0Haemulon chrysagyeum Smallmouth grunt CR 3 022 3 273 01 002Haemulon sciurus Bluestriped grunt CR 3 022 3 273 0 001Haemulon sp Grunt CR 19 139 10 909 04 013Sparidae Porgy family CR 2 015 - - 02 006Calamus sp Porgy CR 1 007 1 091 0 001Sciaenidae Drum family CR 1 007 1 091 01 003Halichoeres sp Wrass CR 2 015 2 182 01 002Scaridae Parrotfish family CR 160 1172 - - 81 280Scarus sp Parrotfish CR 37 271 8 727 52 180Sparisoma sp Parrotfish CR 43 315 6 545 103 359Acanthuridae Surgeonfish family CR 208 1524 - - 134 466Acanthurus sp Surgeonfish CR 28 205 11 10 13 046Scombridae Tuna and mackerel family OFSPW 38 278 - - 192 665Scomberomorus sp Tuna OFSPW 1 007 1 091 09 031Balistidae Triggerfish family CR 133 974 - - 07 023

(contd)

258 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou) west IndiesFitzpatrick et al

Table 3 (contd) Total Total Total

Taxon Common name Habitat NISP NISP MNI MNI Weight (g) weightBalistes sp Triggerfish CR 3 022 2 182 15 053Lactophrys sp Boxfish CR 4 029 1 091 01 002

Total Identified Osteichthyes 1176 8615 97 8818 74 2565Unidentified Osteichthyes 3354 - - - 2399 -Total Identified Vertebrate 1365 - 110 - 2883 -

eluding snappers (Lutjanidae) grunts bigeye scads (Selarcrumenopthalmus) and surgeon fishes one could suggestthat Grand Bay inhabitants targeted coral reef-inhabitingfish using fine gauge nets andor traps (ODay 2004)

Sea turtle capture can be inferred from the variety andcondition of skeletal elements present in the Grand Baymidden including both body and shell specimens as wellas cultural taphonomic indicators of processing such ashack marks In general it can be suggested that at leastsome portion of sea turtles were butchered and processedat Grand Bay in addition to the original site of capture (ieoff-site beach and shallow water areas) Sea turtles mayhave been taken while nesting on sandy beaches or feedingin nearshore waters In the mid-1600s the French huntedturtles on Carriacou and Richardson notes that [p]ot-tery fragments of turtle heads and corroborating evidencefrom Grenada indicate that sea turtles were a major part ofthe aboriginal diet (1975 393)

Mammals birds reptiles and sharks were also exploit-ed at Grand Bay but are less abundant than bony fish(LeFebvre 2007) Terrestrial fauna include agouti(Dasyprocta sp) opossum (Didelphis sp) and rice rat (Ory-zomys sp) All three types of mammal are associated withboth forested and anthropogenic landscapes such as horti-cultural farmland and houses and may have been easily ac-quired (Wing 1993) Agouti and opossum are native toSouth America and are found elsewhere in Ceramic de-posits from the Lesser Antilles and southern Caribbean is-lands The presence of agouti and opossum at the Pearlssite on Grenada located 30 km south of Carriacou is note-worthy (Newsom and Wing 2004) With regard to birdsonly pigeon (Columbidae) has been identified at the siteReptiles inelude iguana and snakes amphibians (Anura)are also present It is unclear whether or not birds and rep-tiles were common food resources at Grand Bay or if theirpresence is a result of commensal processes

_The Grand Bay subsistence pattern concurs with broad-er subsistence strategies identified in the Lesser Antillesduring the Ceramic Age (Wing and Reitz 1982 Newsomand Wing 2004 de France and Newsom 2005) Interest-ingly preliminary analysis of faunal materials recovered in2007 and 2008 revealed four mammals formerly unidenti-fied in this region of the Caribbean adding to previously

established geographic ranges peccary (Tayassu sp) ar-madillo (Dasypus sp) guinea pig (Cavia sp) and deer(probably Mazama americana red brocket deer) in theform of a single incised and drilled mandible fragmentEach animal is native to mainland South America andwould have required human transportation to reach Carri-acou although the deer fragment may have been broughtas an artifact Exotic peccary remains for instance have forthe most part been identified only from islands proximateto South America with only three recorded instances frombeyond the continental margin on Vieques and Jamaica in

the Greater Antilles and possibly on Grenada (Boomert2000 Fandrich 1991 Narganes Storde 2005 Newsomand Wing 2004 Wing 1968) Peccary on the more remoteCarriacou raises questions about the transport manage-ment arid cultural role of this species Similar questions areraised by the guinea pig and armadillo remains Whileguinea pig has been identified on several Greater Antilleansites and a few Lesser Antillean and southern Caribbean is-land sites (Wing Hoffman and Ray 1968 Newsom andWing 2004 deFrance and Newsom 2005) armadillo hasbeen recorded only from sites south of Carriacou onGrenada and Trinidad (Wmg and Reitz 1982 Newsomand Wing 2004) The nature and scope of these transloca-tions however are currently under investigation

InvertebratesThe invertebrate assemblage is relatively rich with a

wide variety of taxa and an emphasis on easily harvestedspecies The majority of identified specimens (gt 96 ofMNI) are marine molluscs with Grand Bay residents fo-cusing primarily on those taxa that could be exploited fromthe rocky intertidal and shallow water zone (TABLE 4)Nerites (Nerita spp especially Nerita tessellata) and theWest Indian top snail (Cittarium pica) along with chiton(particularly West Indian chiton [Chiton tuberculatus]) ac-count for the largest portions of the sample by NISP MNIand weight These species are found today on wave-washedbeachrock outcrops near the site and were probably abun-dant and easily obtained in the past Frequent burning ob-served for chiton valves suggests cooking over an open fireas a possible method of processing and meat extraction

Bivalves were minimally exploited (300of MNI) Land


Table 4 Grand Bay invertebrate taxa Specimens analyzed come from the 14 in column samples of Trench 446 level 2 samplesquares 7 and 19 and level 3 square19 Trench 415 level 2 sample square 7 Trench 561 level 2 sample squares 17 and 19

Total Total TotalTaxon Common name NISP NISP 1liNI 1liNI Weight (g) weight

MolluscaBivalviaBrachidontes exustus Scorched mussel 3 035 2 061 4 016Lucinidae Lucine family 4 047 2 061 17 007Codakia orbicularis Tiger lucine 2 023 2 061 151 061Chione cancellata Cross-barred venus 1 012 1 030 03 001Tellinidae Tellin family 1 012 - - 04 002Tellina sp Tellin 1 012 1 030 106 043Psammobiidae Sand clam family 1 012 - - 10 004Asaphis deflorata Gaudy asaphis 3 035 2 061 109 044

Total Identified Bivalve 16 187 10 304 44 178Unidentified Bivalve 6 - - - 34 -

Gastropoda-MarineFissurella barbadensis Barbados keyhole limpet 2 023 2 061 41 017Cittarium pica West Indian top snail 106 1241 40 1216 18392 7457Tegula excavata Green -base teguala 11 129 3 091 36 015Lithopoma caelatum Carved star snail 3 035 3 091 166 067Lithopoma tuber Green star snail 6 070 2 061 113 046Neritidae N erite family 1 012 - - 02 001Nerita peloronta Bleeding tooth nerite 2 023 2 061 47 019Nerita versicolor Four-toothed nerite 26 003 20 608 442 179Nerita tessellata Tessellated nerite 139 1628 118 3587 963 390Nerita sp Nerite 12 141 - - 57 023Tectarius muricatus Beaded periwinkle 7 082 7 213 76 031Supplanaxis nucleus Black Atlantic planaxis 4 047 4 122 16 006Crepidula macuwsa Spotted slipper snail 13 152 13 395 53 022Natica sp N aticamoon snail 1 012 1 030 30 012Cypraea sp Cowry 1 012 1 030 46 019Cymatium nicobaricum Gold-mouth triton 1 012 1 030 13 005Plicopurpura patula Wide-mouth purpura 1 012 1 030 10 004Stramonita rustica or haemastoma Rock snail 5 059 5 152 15 061Nassarius polygonatus Black-spot nassa 1 012 1 030 03 001Engoniophos unicinctus Guadeloupe phos 1 012 1 030 06 002Olividae Olive family 1 012 - - 10 004Oliva sp Olive 1 012 1 030 14 006Bulla striatus Common Atlantic bubble 2 023 2 061 26 011

Total Identified Marine Gastropod 347 4063 228 6930 20712 8398Unidentified Marine Gastropod 88 - - - 411 -

Gastropoda-Terrestrial (land snails)Bulimulidae Bulimulid family 2 023 - - 03 001Orthalicus undatus Wavy orthalicus 11 129 6 182 74 030Megawbulimus sp Megawbulimus land snail 3 035 1 030 20 008Camaenidae Camaenid family 5 059 - - 09 004Pleurodonte aff perplexa Pleurodonte land snail 3 035 3 091 16 006

Total Identified Terrestrial Gastropod 24 281 10 304 121 049Unidentified Terrestrial Gastropod 2 - - - 0 -

Polyplacophora (Chitons)Chitonidae True chiton family 1 012 - - 06 002Chiton mamoratus Marbled chiton 38 445 10 304 344 139Chiton tuberculatus West Indian chiton 337 3946 56 1702 2112 856Chiton viridis Green chiton 1 012 1 030 01 0Chiton sp Chiton 3 035 - - 07 003Acanthopluera granulata Fuzzy chiton 47 550 11 334 844 342

Total Identified Polyplacophora 426 4988 78 2371 3307 1341Unidentified Polyplacophora 2 - - - 15 -

Total Identified Mollusc 813 9520 326 9909 2458 9966Unidentified Mollusc 10 - - - 18 -

Echinoidea Sea urchin 34 398 - - 48 019Malocostraca (Order Decapoda)

Portunidae sp Swimming crab 1 012 1 030 01 001Cardisoma guanhumi Blue land crab 1 012 1 030 18 007Gecarcinus sp Gecarcinid land crab 4 047 1 030 12 005

Total Identified Decapod 6 070 3 091 31 013Unidentified Decapod 10 - - - 44 -

260 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou) west IndiesFitzpatrick et ale

Table 5 Minimum number of individuals (MNI)for Strombus sp excavated from three field seasons(2005-2007) at Grand Bay MNI counts are basedon presence of shell apex

MNITrench 415

Planum 1 5Planum 2 31Planum 3 150Planum 4 434Planum 5 189Planum 6 171Planum 7 21

Total 1001

Trench 446Planum 1 21Planum 2 31Planum 3 480Planum 4 182Planum 5 96Planum 6 91Planum 7 33Planum 8 52Planum 9 44

Total 1209

Trench 561Planum 1 18Planum 2 14Planum 3 2Planum 4Planum 5 7

Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12

Trench 592Planum 1 26Planum 2 13

Total 39

crabs (Gecarcinidae spp) are also uncommon laquo 1 ofMNI) This is consistent with the trend widely observedfor Caribbean Ceramic Age sites in which land crab re-mains occurring in earlier deposits are replaced in later de-posits by molluscs particularly Cpica (Wing 2001 N ew-som and Wing 2004) Land crabs may yet be found ingreater abundance at Grand Bay when earlier deposits areanalyzed Smaller or infrequently occurring taxa in the as-semblage might represent accidental incorporation into themidden either as epibionts (eg Crepidula maculosa) or inthe case of some terrestrial snails as a consequence of com-mensal opportunities created by organic midden remains

The vast majority of Strombus at Grand Bay are queenconch (S gigas) but due to limitations for transportingand curating the large bulky shells it was necessary to em-ploy different recovery and analytic procedures for thistaxon Sgigas specimens were quantified in the field usingan MNI count based on the presence of the shell apex

MNI for the 2005-2007 field seasons are summarized inTable 5 and represent recovery from all excavated prove-niences Due to their weight relative to meat yield histor-ical and modern conch processing involves extracting snailson the shore and discarding shells on the beach this strat-egy was likely employed in the past (Stager and Chen1996 ODay and IZeegan 2001) For this reason ODayand IZeegan (2001) suggest that Sgigas shell in archaeo-logical deposits primarily represents stockpiling for use intool manufacture Adzes and other tools of Strombus shellare common in Caribbean assemblages and such objectshave been recovered from Grand Bay (FIG 7) Inhabitantshere may have been accumulating conch shell for use intool and ornament manufacture An obvious concentra-tion of large mature conch shells in a discrete area severalmeters wide stretches across the northern quadrants ofTrench 415 into the western portion of 446 and representsthis type of stockpiling activity (FIG 9)

Human RemainsThrough the 2007 field season 19 human burials were

excavated Five were recovered during site survey in 2003and a site visit in 2006 while the remaining 14 burialswere encountered during the three excavation seasonsMost burials were exposed and identified due to erosion ofthe surface or coastal profile and are incomplete An addi-tional burial feature containing the complete skeleton ofone individual and the incomplete remains of two addi-tional individuals was excavated in 2008 These individu-als will not be discussed in detail here

MORTUARY BEHAVIOR

No formal spatially segregated burial grounds havebeen identified at Grand Bay Instead preexisting large pitsor postholes and middens appear to be common intermentsites The deceased were deposited in primary burials Theburial feature with three individuals excavated during the2008 season may be an exception to these trends Burialand facial orientation are variable (TABLE 6) with a slightpreference for burials oriented along a N-S or S-N axisAllskeletons appear to exhibit flexion of the legs at the pelvisand the knee with the body sitting upright or lying on itsback Several were leaning to one side and two burialsidentified in 2007 suggest that interment on the side maybe a local burial posture No grave goods were recoveredsuggesting that items placed with the deceased if any wereperishable

SKELETAL ANALYSIS

Age estimates are available for 17 skeletons excavatedprior to 2008 adults represent 824 older children or


Figure 9 Trench 415 at Grand BayNote the concentration oflarge queen conch in exposed surface rep-resenting possible stockpiling of shell for use as raw material Photo by S M Fitzpatrick

teens 118 and younger children 5900 (TABLE 6) Thepaucity of subadults particularly infants and young chil-dren is surprising considering the high mortality ratesoften seen in these age categories at many Precolumbiansites (Crespo 2000) Though this implies that infant andchildhood mortality was low poor preservation or differ-ential mortuary treatment for deceased infants and childrenmay also account for their absence in archaeological con-

texts Males and females are equally represented among the12 burials (where sex could be determined)

A preliminary assessment of pathology combining priorobservations by Reeves (2006) with more recent resultsobtained from skeletons excavated in the 2007 field seasonindicates that five individuals recovered at Grand Bay ex-hibit skeletal trauma including fractures of the femur fibu-la humerus ulna radius and clavicle The pattern of frac-

262 Precolumbian Settlements on Ca17iacouJ west IndiesFitzpatrick et al

Table 6 Human remains found at Grand Bay

Find no Feature no Age Sex Orientation (burial) Orientation (face) Posture03CAROOO095 0001 adult unknown N-S unknown on back flexed03CAROOO096 0010 adult unknown NE-SW unknown on back flexed03CAROOO097 adult unknown S-N NE on back flexed04CGBOOO025 0001 adult female N-S unknown on back flexed

04CGBOOO022 0003 10-14 years male W-E unknown sitting upright flexed04CGBOOOl13 0006 6 years child SE-NW unknown on back flexed04CGBOO0388 0083 adult male S-N unknown sitting upright flexed04CGBOO0390 0084 20-25 years female S-N W on back flexed

05CGBOOI024 0088 25-35 years male W-E E sitting upright flexed06CGBOOl121 0123 adult male unknown 06CGBOO 1145 0124 adult female unknown 07CGBOO 1230 0131 10-15 years unknown unknown on back

07CGBOO 1249 0125 unknown unknown unknown unknown on left side flexed07CGBOO1307 0130 mid adult female NE-SW NE sitting upright flexed07CGBOO1342 0126 adult male N-S N sitting upright07CGBOO1375 0093 14-15 years male SW-NE SW sitting upright flexed

07CGBOO1379 0129 limited excavation limited excavation on side flexed07CGBOO1419 0128 adult female unknown unknown 07CGBOO 1444 0132 adult female NE-SW sw on back flexed

Cranial-caudal if buried on back or side ventral-dorsal if buried in a sitting position

tures in the appendicular skeleton suggests accidental in-jury may be responsible particularly in the absence of trau-rna types and sites typically seen in interpersonal conflictIn addition active periostitis a non-specific inflammationof the periosteum in response to infection or trauma wasidentified on the internal surface of multiple ribs in two ju-veniles recovered in 2007 one of whom also exhibits ex-tensive involvement of the sternum

Other Archaeological RemainsOver 180 features have been documented at Grand Bay

Of these more than 60 are possible postholes which arevisible on the surface of the yellowish-brown subsoil andalong the exposed coastal profile Although many are smalland scattered a linear arrangement of four larger postholes(ranging in diameter from 60 to 100 cm) in the southernpart of the eroded area (FIG 4) suggests that these were thecenter poles for a large oval-shaped longhouse that couldhave housed several families Due to erosion we only ex-amined the lowest part of each one Two other possiblepostholes observable in the coastal profile farther northsuggest an additional larger house structure Cross-sectioning of postholes along the coast and those inland in-dicate that pottery and other refuse was possibly used as fillin residential construction

DiscussionArchaeological research in the southern Caribbean par-

ticularly the Grenadines has been rare To improve our un-derstanding of ancient settlement in this region we con-

ducted an island-wide surface survey on the island of Car-riacou that revealed the presence of at least 12 sites six ofwhich had evidence for long-term habitation Subsequentexcavation at the two largest sites - Grand Bay andSabazan - indicates that people settled Carriacou by at leastCAL AD 400 and possibly earlier according to lumines-cence dates and stylistically unique ceramics such as ZoneIncised Cross-Hatch (ZIC) ware

A rich collection of artifacts faunal remains humanburials and features from residential structures provides astrong foundation for examining Amerindian life duringthe late Ceramic Age and a comparison to other sites is-lands and mainland South America Macroscopic analysisof over 31000 potsherds indicates that decorative andmanufacturing techniques are similar to the Lesser Antillessouth of Guadeloupe however a number of artifacts suchas body stamps appear to show local designs The compo-sitional analyses of ceramics using thin-section petrogra-phy and INAA demonstrate that most pottery and othermaterials were imported a few sherds and fragments of in-haling bowls with exotic tempers suggest both local and regional distribution networks involving inter-island ex-change and transport

A number of other artifact types were found includingground and incised turtle bone stone adzes and beadsshell ornaments and beads and several three-pointed stonecemis The presence of cemis suggests widespread TallO in-fluence deriving from the Greater Antilles that becamemore common over time (Hofman et al 2007)

Analysis of vertebrate and invertebrate remains demon-

strates that inhabitants at Grand Bay and Sabazan harvest-ed marine foods during later phases of occupation (CAL

AD 800-1400) This emphasis on marine foods is compa-rable to that seen for other Ceramic Age coastal sitesAmerindians on Carriacou also brought with them a num-ber of exotic animals For at least three of these taxa-guinea pig armadillo and peccary-the Carriacou data ap-preciably enhance our understanding of their prehistoricrange

Excluding the three individuals identified in the com-plex mortuary feature excavated in 2008 there are 19 hu-man burials at Grand Bay 8000 of which were adults It isunclear whether the paucity of infants and young childrenresults from low mortality rates bone preservation or dif-ferential mortuary treatment Other features found atGrand Bay including approximately 60 postholes suggestthe construction and frequent movement or rebuilding ofliving quarters by inhabitants

ConclusionsThe archaeological investigation of Precolumbian sites

on Carriacou illuminates our understanding of ancientAmerindian occupation in the Caribbean islands The dataindicate that Carriacou belonged to the broader CeramicAge cultural complex both in terms of the stylistic affinityof artifacts and the socio-religious traditions evinced bythem Connections to other islands in the region and to themainland were maintained by the movement of goods andanimals Cultural characteristics including an emphasis onmarine resources and the erection of large dwelling struc-tures are similar to patterns observed elsewhere in theCaribbean At the same time a number of our findings onCarriacou are uncharacteristic or inconsistent with patternsseen elsewhere including the relatively late occupation ofthe island (CAL AD 400) and the presence of rare exoticfauna such as the guinea pig peccary armadillo and deer

Our work underlines the importance of collecting datafrom islands in the southern Caribbean which hold cluesfor examining migration patterns and enhance our spatialcoverage for the region As previous studies have shown inthe Caribbean (I(eegan et al 2008) and elsewhere islandsthat are relatively small remote or both may have inter-esting and complex histories with unusual or unexpectedpatterns of human colonization and occupation (S J 0-Day Steadman and P M ODay 2007) This seems to bethe case for Carriacou both in terms of chronology and an-imal translocation (I(eegan et al 2008) Continued exca-vation at Grand Bay and Sabazan along with intensive sur-vey of other known settlements here and in the Grenadines(Fitzpatrick I(appers and I(aye 2007) will shed light onthe role this smaller island chain played in colonization pat-

Journal of Field ArchaeologyjVol34y 2009 263

terns interaction spheres and exchange networks duringthe Ceramic Age Our research highlights the strategiesthat island peoples implemented in order to settle new en-vironments exploit local and imported resources interactwith other peoples and survive over hundreds and thou-sands of years Future work dedicated to continuing exca-vation at Grand Bay and Sabazan and collecting palaeob-otanical remains will most certainly provide a more com-plete picture of subsistence activities and environmentalchange during the Late Holocene

AcknowledgmentsWe would like to thank everyone at the Carriacou His-

torical Society Museum for their support and encourage-ment Thanks go to the Ministry of Tourism in Grenadaand the local landowners for granting us permission toconduct our fieldwork and to the dozens of students whoaided our work during the past five years We also appreci-ate comments from three anonymous reviewers for im-proving a previous draft of our paper

Scott M Fitzpatrick (PhD 2003y University of Oregon) is anAssociate ProfessorofArchaeology at North Carolina StateUniversity specializing in the archaeology of islandsy particu-larly the Pacific and Caribbean His research interests includeisland colonizationy interaction and exchange systemsy mar-itime adaptationsy site taphonomy) and historical ecologyMailing address Department of Sociologyand Anthropology)Box 8107) North Carolina State University) Raleigh) NC27695 E-mail scottJitzpatrickncsuedu

Michiel I(appers (MPhil 1996) University of Leiden)Netherlands) isfounder of In-Terris Site Technics)an archaeo-logical contract firm specializing in the computerized acquisi-tion and interpretation of data recovered in survey and exca-vation His research interests include Geographic InformationSystemsy Global Positioning System survey techniques) anddatabase software development He has worked extensively onlawe-scale archaeologicalprojects in the Netherlands where heis involved with the development of a nationwide standardizedarchaeological database systemy and on several islands in theCaribbean including Guadeloupe) Jamaica) Trinidad) andCarriacou

Quetta I(aye (PhD Candidate) Institute ofArchaeology)University College London) includes among her research inter-estspharmacological and ethnobotanical analyses) applied ar-chaeologyy tourism) and public education In addition to co-di-recting the Carriacou Archaeological Projeetyshe has excavat-ed in Cuba) Barbados) and various sites in the United I(ing-dom) and is Secretary of the International Association forCaribbean Archaeology

Christina M Giovas (PhD Candidate) Department of

264 Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou) WestIndiesFitzpatrick et al

Anthropology) University of Washington) is a zooarchaeologistspecializing in vertebrate and invertebrate analyses in theCaribbean and Pacific Her research interests focus on humanenvironmental impacts) faunal translocations) and zooarchae-ological methodology

Michelle J LeFebvre (phD Candidate) Department ofAnthropology) University of Florida) is a zooarchaeologist whospecializes in vertebrate analysis in the circum-Caribbean re-gion

Mary Hill Harris (Museum ofArchaeology and Anthro-pology) University of Cambridge) U I() is Honorary Curatorof the Latin American Archaeology collectionsand specializesin ceramic analysis) particularly in the southern Caribbeanwhere she has worked on a number of different projects) includ-ing several on Barbados and Carriacou

Scott E Burnett (phD 2005) Arizona State University) isan Assistant Professor in the Collegium of Comparative Cul-tures at Eckerd College in Florida His research interests in-clude human skeletal variation) paleopathology) dental anthro-pology) and science education His research has included field-work in the Southwest U S) France) Egypt) South Africa)Thailand) and the Caribbean

Jennifer A Pavia (MS 2009) Department of GeologicalSciences)California State University Northridge) studies ce-ramic petrography and inter-island interaction spheres

I(athleen Marsaglia (phD 1989) University of CaliforniaLos Angeles) is Professor of Geological Sciences at CaliforniaState University Northridge Her expertise is sandstone petrol-ogy and marine sedimentation and tectonics Her current re-searchprojects involve sand provenance studies in NewZealand) Italy) South America) and southern California) aswell as Caribbean and New Guinea ceramic temper (sand)provenance with archaeology colleagues She is a Fellow of theGeological Society ofAmerica and an Associate Editor for theJournal of Sedimentary Research

James Feathers (phD 1990) University of Washington) isa Research Associate Professor in the Department ofAnthro-pology at the University of Washington His specialties includeprehistoric ceramic technology and luminescence dating) par-ticularly in the southwest and southeast United States He isDirector of the University of Washington Luminescence Lab

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and Nevis

o Antigua and Barbudao Montserrat

Arubao Curacao

~ lt) Bpnaire0 0

JG Guadeloupe

U Dominica

~ Martinique

() St Lucia

St Vincent 9 t Barbados

ICarriacoul~omiddot Grenadineso Grenada

THE LESSERANTILLES

c Tobago

1]Trinidad

Figure 1 Map of the eastern Caribbean with location of Carriacou

VENEZUELA

where there is no acceptable chronological evidence for ei-ther Archaic or early Saladoid (500 CAL BC-AD 1) peo-ple (Fitzpatrick 2006)

The prevailing explanation for a Saladoid migrationinto the Caribbean posits a northward movement fromSouth America into the Lesser Antilles in a stepping-stonefashion around 500400 CALBC however recent studiesusing computer simulations of seafaring (Callaghan 2001)and a reevaluation of radiocarbon chronologies (Fitz-patrick 2006) suggest that people may have voyaged di-recdy to the northern islands before moving south a phe-nomenon recognized earlier by I(eegan (2000) In addi-tion our work on the island of Carriacou in the southernGrenadines over the past five years has provided no evi-dence for a pre-AD 400 settlement Is this indicative of amigratory route that bypassed the southern Lesser Antillesor has a general paucity of research prevented us from lo-cating earlier sites

To test this hypothesis adequately it is critical to inten-

sively investigate islands in the southern Lesser AntillesQuestions remain as to whether the smaller islands of theCaribbean such as the Bahamas and Grenadines may havebeen less attractive to settlers over time due to various lim-itations or disadvantages in resource availability-eg fishsalt or fertile soils - that influenced colonization and set-tlement patterns Recent research by I(eegan et al (2008)suggests this may not be the case A major challenge in an-swering these questions is that many islands in theCaribbean are succumbing to coastal erosion due to a com-bination of human and natural influences that threaten todestroy the archaeological record (Fitzpatrick I(appersand I(aye 2006) A projected global rise in sea level willhave an impact on the preservation of Precolumbian sitesmost of which are found in low-lying coastal areas As a re-sult we must be active in collecting information from thesesites before they are lost

Our findings from the past five years amplify the im-portance that Carriacou and other smaller Caribbean is-


()

Be

o



Carriacou

















Feature

Excavated trench


Shrub and trees





-----2006

T----2007

=1----------- 2008


2004










Results

Ceramics








(rt ulna)



3





surfacesurface415































Vertebrates
















(contd)































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399

















()

Be

o



Carriacou

















Feature

Excavated trench


Shrub and trees





-----2006

T----2007

=1----------- 2008


2004










Results

Ceramics








(rt ulna)



3





surfacesurface415































Vertebrates
















(contd)































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399




























Feature

Excavated trench


Shrub and trees





-----2006

T----2007

=1----------- 2008


2004










Results

Ceramics








(rt ulna)



3





surfacesurface415































Vertebrates
















(contd)































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399





















Results

Ceramics








(rt ulna)



3





surfacesurface415































Vertebrates
















(contd)































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399





















(rt ulna)



3





surfacesurface415































Vertebrates
















(contd)































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399




































Vertebrates
















(contd)































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399




























(contd)































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399














































MNITrench 415


Total 1001


Total 1209


Total 41Trench 563

Planum 1 12Total 12


Total 39






MORTUARY BEHAVIOR


SKELETAL ANALYSIS



























































































































65 390-399









































































































































65 390-399
















Precolumbian Settlements on Carriacou, West Indies

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