Shellfish Collection Practices of the First Inhabitants of Southwestern Puerto Rico: The Effects of Site Type and Paleoenvironment on Habitat Choice

Abstract

After decades of study, much remains unknown about the foraging practices of the earliest inhabitants of Puerto Rico. Here, we present an analysis of the malacological assemblages of two neighboring and (partially) contemporary early sites from the island's southwest, finding intriguing intersite differences in shellfish collection practices. We attribute this diversity to differences in site type, chronology, or changes in local coastal configuration. This work not only provides insights into prehistoric Puerto Rican foraging dynamics but also demonstrates the importance of considering factors including intra-age chronology, site type, and changes in paleoenvironmental conditions when considering ancient foraging practices.

Reconsidering the lives of the earliest Puerto Ricans: Mortuary Archaeology and bioarchaeology of the Ortiz site

“…The ratio of terrestrial to marine protein sources varies from 1.2:1 to 1.6:1 among the Ortiz individuals. This finding is in stark contrast to the impression of dietary protein given by analysis of faunal remains from the site’s midden, an assemblage which consists overwhelmingly of marine invertebrate remains [ 2 ]. Considering plant foods for all four individuals, C 3 plants make up a larger portion of diet, averaging 28.7±6.1%, than C 4 /CAM plants, which averaged 16.8±1.7%.…”

“…Excavation field notes record that these four depositions were made into the shell midden matrix and the backfill overlying them formed discrete “pockets” (as if deposited through the dumping of tray or basket loads of shell). Analysis of shells from both midden and burial backfill found no significant differences in the two contexts’ species composition [ 2 ]. Excavation notes make no mention of grave cuts or grave walls, and no such features are noted in either plan or profile for B1–B4.…”

“…In our work [e.g. 2 ], we have chosen to follow researchers such as Rivera-Collazo [ 3 ] and to reject the term “Archaic” because it has a pejorative connotation, is historically inaccurate, and homogenizes 4,000 to 5,000 years of human cultures across the vast insular Caribbean. We also decline to use the term “Pre-Arawak” [ 4 ] for the region’s early inhabitants, as it identifies such groups by what they were not and by whom they may have been succeeded.…”

“…The 1993 excavations revealed a roughly 500 m 2 site that included a 30–40 cm deep midden deposit consisting of abundant marine invertebrate remains [ 2 ], copious lithic artifacts representing all stages of stone tool manufacture, and lesser quantities of vertebrate fauna remains, coral, and other artifacts. These excavations also encountered five human burials, the subject of the present manuscript.…”

Modeling Holocene coastal ecosystem availability and site distribution patterns for Borikén, Puerto Rico

“…Throughout the Archaic, Early, and Late Ceramic Periods, coastal areas were easily accessible for settlement, horticultural activities, and marine foraging strategies (Bates, 2014;Pestle et al, 2021;Rivera-Collazo, 2015b). Coastal environments remain integral to indigenous identities up to today (García-Quijano et al, 2015;Lloréns and Stanchich, 2019;Valdés Pizzini, 2006).…”