Comments on Amerindian Hunting Practices in Trinidad (West Indies): Tetrapods From the Manzanilla Site (Late Ceramic Age 300–900 AD)

Delsol, Nicolas; Grouard, Sandrine

doi:10.1080/15564894.2015.1102781

Cited by 6 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Other snakes (Boidae, Tropidophidae, Typhlopidae and Viperidae) : Boid snakes have been reported from 12 deposits. These deposits are located in Trinidad and Tobago (four sites), where these remains have been attributed to Boa constrictor [52,53,59], in Cuba (one site), where they have been attributed to Chilabothrus angulifer [83], in Puerto Rico (two sites), where they have been attributed to Chilabothrus inornatus [54,58], in Grand Turk (one site), where they have been identified as Chilabothrus chrysogaster [49], as well as in Antigua, Martinique, and Guadeloupe (one site each), where they were attributed to the genus Boa [82,119]. With the exception of an example from an archaeological deposit on Grand Turk, the only reports of boid snakes ( Boa sp.)…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tropidophis sp. has been reported from a single site in Turks & Caicos Island (Middle Caicos) [12] and Viperidae from only two sites, one on Trinidad [59] where these snakes still occur, and one on Antigua [84], where vipers are no longer present. The northernmost modern occurrence of Viperidae in the Caribbean is the island of Martinique.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…and/or Geochelone sp. in St Thomas and Trinidad, and left unidentified in Nevis [12,[53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64]. The reports of crocodiles in the sample of sites for royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos R. Soc.…”

Section: Herpetofauna Taxa Identified In the Assemblagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Archaeological occurrences of terrestrial herpetofauna in the insular Caribbean: cultural and biological significance

Bochaton

2022

R. Soc. open sci.

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Although the importance of the archaeological record for addressing questions of biodiversity is gaining ground, its relevance for describing past faunal communities is still under-exploited, particularly for the most under-documented areas and species. Among the most poorly documented taxa are reptiles and amphibians, which are rarely studied in detail in the archaeological record, even in tropical areas where most of these species occur today. Here I evaluate the archaeological and paleontological significance of reptiles and amphibians from the Indigenous archaeological record of the insular Caribbean. Quantitative (bone counts) and qualitative (taxonomic identification) analyses allow researchers to discuss the role of herpetofauna in the subsistence strategies of Indigenous populations as well as their interest for assessing past insular biodiversity. This overview sheds light on both the poor representation of herpetofaunal taxa in Caribbean archaeological deposits and trends in the potential exploitation of reptiles and amphibians by Indigenous populations. In terms of paleoecology, the presented results reveal strong regional differences in the quality and density of data as well as the inadequacy of available archaeofaunal data for addressing questions of past biodiversity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Archaeological occurrences of terrestrial herpetofauna in the insular Caribbean: cultural and biological significance

Bochaton

2022

R. Soc. open sci.

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“…Element diversity offers additional evidence. Delsol and Grouard's (2016; see also Delsol et al 2015) analysis of element representation for M. americana at the Manzanilla site (ca. AD 400–1400) on Trinidad (Boomert 2000) provides quantitative data supporting the association between a diversity of deer elements present and assemblages representing dietary remains in a context where live deer are available for exploitation.…”

Section: Synthesis: Patterning In the Precolumbian West Indian Cervidmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…AD 400–1400) on Trinidad (Boomert 2000) provides quantitative data supporting the association between a diversity of deer elements present and assemblages representing dietary remains in a context where live deer are available for exploitation. In the Manzanilla cervid assemblage (NISP = 169), femora, pelvic elements, scapula, humeri, radii, and tibiae exhibit the highest incidences of occurrence ( > 10% NISP each), while metatarsals, tarsals, and vertebral elements are lower (< 6% NISP each; Delsol and Grouard 2016; Delsol et al 2015). Based on a similarly broad range of elements, Stahl and Athens (2001) inferred the introduction of whole deer carcasses for consumption at the La Chimba site (700 BC–AD 250) in the Andean highlands of Ecuador.…”

Section: Synthesis: Patterning In the Precolumbian West Indian Cervidmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continental Connections and Insular Distributions: Deer Bone Artifacts of the Precolumbian West Indies—a Review and Synthesis With New Records

Giovas

2017

Latin Am. antiq.

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The remains of non-native deer (Cervidae) have been sparsely recorded in Amerindian archaeological sites of the West Indies, but evidence indicates the presence of at least two genera, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus) and brocket deer (Mazama), during the precolumbian era known as the Ceramic Age (ca. 500 BC–AD 1500). Due to underreporting of finds and lack of regional integration of existing records, however, the West Indian distribution of cervid remains and their cultural importance are not well understood. Here, I synthesize records for unmodified and modified deer bone from 29 archaeological sites on seven islands in the precolumbian island Caribbean with descriptions for four new records of deer bone artifacts from Carriacou and Grenada. I discuss taxonomic attribution issues, evidence for manufacturing techniques, and the utilitarian and symbolic significance of deer bone artifacts. Particular attention is given to proportions of worked and unworked bone, element diversity, and skeletal part representation as a means to distinguish the introduction of living deer from the introduction of carcass products. The evidence presented here is consistent with island Amerindians importing cervid bone as finished artifacts or raw material for tool and ornament manufacture rather than live animals. This study enhances our understanding of the ways in which Amerindians were engaged in exchange networks based on the movement of exotic goods between the West Indies and continent. More broadly, it contributes to conceptual methods for distinguishing the transfer of body parts from the translocation of live animals in studies of exotic animal dispersal by humans.

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Minimum Animal Units and the Standardized Count Problem

Breslawski

2022

J Archaeol Method Theory

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Comments on Amerindian Hunting Practices in Trinidad (West Indies): Tetrapods From the Manzanilla Site (Late Ceramic Age 300–900 AD)

Cited by 6 publications

References 26 publications

Archaeological occurrences of terrestrial herpetofauna in the insular Caribbean: cultural and biological significance

Archaeological occurrences of terrestrial herpetofauna in the insular Caribbean: cultural and biological significance

Continental Connections and Insular Distributions: Deer Bone Artifacts of the Precolumbian West Indies—a Review and Synthesis With New Records

Minimum Animal Units and the Standardized Count Problem

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