Evidence for inter-island transport of heirlooms: luminescence dating and petrographic analysis of ceramic inhaling bowls from Carriacou, West Indies

Fitzpatrick, Scott M.; Quetta, Kaye; Feathers, James K.; Pavia, Jennifer A.; Marsaglia, Kathleen M.

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2008.08.007

Cited by 36 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…12) which was recovered from one of the lowest layers of trench 446. This spout is different in size and shape from the three other examples known from the island, being 3.5cm long and narrow (Fitzpatrick et al 2009b).…”

Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 62%

“…Our major goal this year was to finalise the excavation of three previously opened 5×5 metre trenches (nos 592, 415 and 446) ( fig. 2) (see summaries in Fitzpatrick et al 2009aFitzpatrick et al , 2009bKaye et al 2009), while training students in fieldwork techniques and continuing our community outreach work by encouraging site visits, giving talks to schools, organising an exhibition of small finds for a public open day and conducting a series of television, radio, and newspaper interviews in order to raise public awareness and encourage interest in the archaeological heritage of the island. The Carriacou Historical Society (CHS) also requested us to prepare a report on the possible impact of a proposed "Free Port" coastal development on archaeological sites along the southeastern part of the island.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Bowls and Burials – an Update from Grand Bay, Carriacou, West Indies: May–June 2011

Quetta¹,

Fitzpatrick

Harris

et al. 2012

Papers From the Institute of Archaeology

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Section: Resultscontrasting

confidence: 62%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bowls and Burials – an Update from Grand Bay, Carriacou, West Indies: May–June 2011

Quetta¹,

Fitzpatrick

Harris

et al. 2012

Papers From the Institute of Archaeology

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“…The temporal context of Carriacou’s mammalian archaeofauna suggests that off‐island interaction occurred from at least c . ad 700–1400 and concurrent with documented trade/exchange of material goods with the islands of the Lesser and possibly the Greater Antilles (Fitzpatrick et al. , 2008, 2009b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

New records for prehistoric introduction of Neotropical mammals to the West Indies: evidence from Carriacou, Lesser Antilles

Giovas

LeFebvre

Fitzpatrick

2011

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim This paper investigates the prehistoric introduction of five mammalian taxa to Carriacou (Lesser Antilles) and refines the known anthropogenic ranges for these fauna in the pre-Columbian West Indies. The importance of such records for understanding the region's historical biogeography and ecology is considered.Location Carriacou Island, Grenada (12°28¢ N, 61°26¢ W).Methods Zooarchaeological assemblages from Carriacou's earliest documented prehistoric sites, Grand Bay and Sabazan, were analysed, and exotic taxa were identified and quantified. The timing of introductions was established based on multiple radiocarbon assays, including three new accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) direct dates obtained on the bone of exotic taxa. Source species and location(s) are considered and compared with known prehistoric records for the Caribbean to synthesize anthropogenic distributions for the pre-Columbian period. The contexts of the zooarchaeological remains are evaluated to better understand the nature and purpose of introductions.Results Zooarchaeological investigation on Carriacou reveals the occurrence of multiple mammal introductions from South American between c. ad 700 and ad 1400. This paper presents the first records for guinea pig (Cavia sp.), armadillo (Dasypus sp.), peccary (Tayassu/Pecari sp.), opossum (Didelphis sp.) and agouti (Dasyprocta sp.) from the island. Human-mediated transport of these taxa is indicated by their absence from the record prior to human settlement of Carriacou. Several translocated species are either rare or entirely unknown for the region, and overall West Indian distributions are temporally and spatially discontinuous. Archaeological contexts indicate that mammalian introductions arose from human subsistence needs, but other social factors may have shaped the dispersal of these fauna. Main conclusionsThe taxonomic combination and richness of Carriacou's introduced fauna are unusual within the region. Importantly, the new records significantly improve the known pre-Columbian geographic range for peccary, guinea pig and armadillo. Integrated with regional records, these data augment our understanding of the Caribbean's historical biogeography, and have the potential to improve our understanding of human mobility and anthropogenic environmental impacts in the West Indies prior to the arrival of Europeans.

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“…Carriacou contains an abundance of archaeological sites, especially considering its relatively small size ( Figure 2; Kaye, Fitzpatrick, & Kappers, 2005;Fitzpatrick et al, 2009aFitzpatrick et al, , 2009bFitzpatrick, Kappers, & Giovas, 2010). The first attempt to investigate the Pre-Columbian settlement of Carriacou and adjoining areas was Jesse Fewkes in 1907 who described the ceramics as "among the finest West Indian ware that has yet come to the Smithsonian Institution" (see also Fitzpatrick, Kaye, & Kappers, 2006).…”

Section: Archaeological Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such techniques are routinely employed by other researchers in other areas (e.g., Santacreu & Vicens, ; Segvic et al, ) with some caveats (Frahm, ). Preliminary petrographic data for Carriacou showed promise (Fitzpatrick et al, , ) and warranted the more detailed study presented here.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Petrography and Provenance of Sand Temper Within Ceramic Sherds from Carriacou, Southern Grenadines, West Indies

2013

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Petrographic descriptions and point counts of sherds from archaeological sites on Carriacou, the largest of the Grenadine Islands, show them to exhibit wide textural (temper to matrix ratio) and compositional variability. The major mineralogical components include plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene (augite), amphibole (hornblende), opaque minerals, and various volcaniclastic fragments, the latter exhibiting mostly either lathwork or microlitic textures. Sherds dominated by these components constitute an Igneous group, whereas other samples stand out in terms of their high dense mineral content (Placer group), high potassium feldspar content (Potassic Volcanic group), or high quartz content (Quartzose group). The provenance of sand in some of these sherd groups is likely nonindigenous to Carriacou, and possibly includes Puerto Rico (Potassic Volcanic) and Barbados (Quartzose), whereas the provenance of others (Igneous/Placer) is equivocal and potentially exotic to the island in that their composition is most consistent with active portions of the Antilles magmatic arc to the north. These results suggest widespread interaction within the southern Lesser Antilles and possibly other islands to the north and the possible use of clay and/or tempering materials as exchange items.

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Evidence for inter-island transport of heirlooms: luminescence dating and petrographic analysis of ceramic inhaling bowls from Carriacou, West Indies

Cited by 36 publications

References 17 publications

Bowls and Burials – an Update from Grand Bay, Carriacou, West Indies: May–June 2011

Bowls and Burials – an Update from Grand Bay, Carriacou, West Indies: May–June 2011

New records for prehistoric introduction of Neotropical mammals to the West Indies: evidence from Carriacou, Lesser Antilles

Petrography and Provenance of Sand Temper Within Ceramic Sherds from Carriacou, Southern Grenadines, West Indies

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