Long-Term Trends in Prehistoric Fishing and Hunting on Tobago, West Indies

Abstract

We compare the bone assemblages of Milford 1 (TOB-3) and Golden Grove (TOB-13) in Tobago, West Indies. Milford 1 is a small preceramic occupation (ca. 3000-2800 cal B.P.), whereas Golden Grove is a large ceramic-period village (ca. 1700-900 cal B.P.). Species richness at TOB-13 is greater than at TOB-3, both in marine (67 vs. 39 fishes) and terrestrial (32 vs. 9) taxa. Major shifts in marine exploitation from the preceramic to ceramic periods can be seen in relative abundance of tuna, toadfishes, and in fishes inhabiting mangrove and brackish water environments, and decreases in relative abundance of parrotfish, carnivorous reef fishes, and sea turtles. The abundance of tuna bones at TOB-13 is uniquely high among West Indian archaeological sites. For terrestrial taxa, the difference in species richness exceeds the expected, including decreased specialization on big game (peccaries) at TOB-13, with a greater tendency to hunt reptiles, birds, and mammals of all sizes at TOB-3. Factors underlying the shifts in fishing and hunting may include different collection methods and food preferences of non-Arawakan (preceramic) vs. Arawakan (ceramic) peoples, as well as human-induced declines in populations of peccaries, sea turtles, and selected fish species. Another possible factor is site setting, with the inhabitants of TOB-13 having enhanced access to mangrove habitats.

From Icon of Empire to National Emblem: New Evidence for the Fallow Deer of Barbuda

“…The Mazama americana and Odocoileus virginianus occur naturally only on Trinidad, due to Pleistocene connection with mainland South America (Wing 1962). The Red brocket deer (M. americana) is also archaeologically present on Tobago (Steadman and Jones 2006). Recent Cytogenetic and mtDNA studies of Mazama demonstrate considerable karyotype and molecular diversity in these species and highlight their evolutionary history (Duarte, González, and Maldonado 2008;Giovas, in press).…”

Vertebrate community on an ice-age Caribbean island

“…Through direct radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating using accelerator-mass spectrometer (AMS) technology, we now know that at least some of the large, extinct West Indian mammals, such as sloths, survived well into the Holocene (5-7). Although AMS 14 C dates on insular sloth fossils range from the mid-Holocene to the late Pleistocene (7)(8)(9), all successful AMS 14 C dates done thus far on extirpated West Indian reptiles, birds, or micromammals (bats) are Holocene rather than Pleistocene (10)(11)(12).…”

“…Developing a sound chronology from cultural (archaeological) sites is often facilitated by 14 C dating charcoal, by stratigraphic association of the bones with temporally diagnostic ceramic or lithic artifacts, or by AMS 14 C dating the identified bones (e.g., refs. [13][14][15].…”

“…[13][14][15]. In all such cases, the cultural sites on Caribbean islands are found to be mid-Holocene to late Holocene in age, not late Pleistocene.…”

“…We focus on the late Pleistocene Owl Roost fossils rather than the younger fossils from the Sawmill Sink peat deposit, which have been AMS 14 C dated to the mid-Holocene to late Holocene (18,19). The Pleistocene fossils allow us to evaluate which species were able to withstand the major changes in climate, sea level, land area, and habitat during the glacial-interglacial transition.…”