West Indian archaeology. 2. After Columbus

Keegan, William F.

doi:10.1007/bf02229089

Cited by 23 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, it is errant to project ethnohistoric sources onto the past in an attempt to elucidate the archaeological record (Wobst 1978;Wylie 1985). Extrapolations of contact period written sources applied to the archaeological record from centuries before are problematic due to cultural changes (i.e., which plants were used and how they were processed) due to the magnitude of disruption from European invasions, systematic colonization, and enslavements (Denevan 1992;Jennings 1975;Keegan 1996;Montenegro and Stephens 2006;Pagán-Jiménez 2009;Wilson 1993). For these reasons, we turned to archaeological data to illuminate phytocultural scenarios of a region in the northern Caribbean during the advent of European invasions.…”

Section: Regional Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Precolonial Culinary Practices: Starch Analysis on Griddles from the Northern Caribbean

Ciofalo

Sinelli

Hofman

2019

J Archaeol Method Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Late precolonial (c. 800-1500 CE) culinary practices in the northern Caribbean have received limited investigations. Determining foodways has been integral for the study of cultures, yet there has never been a comparison of foodway dynamics in the Caribbean between the Greater Antilles (the presumed origin of people who migrated into The Bahamas) and the Bahama archipelago. The objective of our study was to analyze microbotanical residues (starches) extracted from 45 clay griddles (food preparation platters) to illuminate a partial view of the phytocultural repertoire of this region and explicate variations of the identified culinary practices. The griddles were excavated from three archaeological sites: El Flaco and La Luperona in northwestern Dominican Republic and Palmetto Junction on the western coast of Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands. Regarding the production of plant-based food on griddles, our produced data suggests that the people who lived at El Flaco focused on the production of maize (Zea mays L.) derivatives, La Luperona residents prepared guáyiga/coontie/ zamia (Zamia spp.) food products, and Palmetto Junction ostensibly had a focus on the production of manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) based foods. This survey of foodways has exposed particular cultural niches, different adaptation strategies, and associated culinary practices. Resumen Las prácticas culinarias precoloniales (c. 800-1500 CE) en el norte del Caribe han sido investigadas de manera limitida. Determinar lasdimensiones de la alimentación ha sido fundamental en el estudio de las culturas; no obstante, en el Caribe nunca se ha realizado unacomparación de estas dinámicas entre las Antillas Mayores (el atribuido origen migratorio de humanos a las Bahamas) y el archipiélago delas Bahamas. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los residuos microbotánicos (almidones) extraídos

show abstract

Section: Regional Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Late Precolonial Culinary Practices: Starch Analysis on Griddles from the Northern Caribbean

Ciofalo

Sinelli

Hofman

2019

J Archaeol Method Theory

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These Arawak-speaking peoples from the Orinoco Valley may have admixed with, rather than replaced, existing Lithic/Archaic populations [30]. By the 15 th century, Europeans estimated indigenous population sizes of 100,000 to 6 million [31]. While Europeans have labeled many of these groups upon contact with various ethnonyms, such as Taino (Greater Antilles), Lucayan (Bahamas), and Caribs (Lesser Antilles, coastal South America), these labels were often problematic in their misinterpretation of existing political, ethnic, and linguistic diversity [32].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

7,000 years of turnover: historical contingency and human niche construction shape the Caribbean’s Anthropocene biota

Kemp

Mychajliw

Wadman

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

17The human-mediated movement of species across biogeographic boundaries-whether 18 intentional or accidental-is dramatically reshaping the modern world. Yet, humans have been 19 reshaping ecosystems and translocating species for millennia, and acknowledging the deeper 20 roots of these phenomena is important for contextualizing present-day biodiversity loss, 21 ecosystem functioning, and management needs. Here, we present the first database of terrestrial 22 vertebrate species introductions spanning the entire anthropogenic history of a system: the 23 Caribbean. We employ this ~7,000 year dataset to assess the roles of historical contingency and 24 priority effects in shaping present-day community structure and conservation outcomes, finding 25 that serial human colonization events contributed to habitat modifications and species extinctions 26 that shaped the trajectories of subsequent species introductions by other human groups. We 27 contextualized spatial and temporal patterns of species introductions within cultural practices and 28 population histories of Indigenous, colonial, and modern human societies, and show that the 29 taxonomic and biogeographic diversity of introduced species reflects diversifying reasons for 30 species introductions through time. Recognition of the complex social and economic structures 31 across the 7,000-year human history of the Caribbean provides the necessary context for 32 interpreting the formation of an Anthropocene biota. 33 34 Caribbean archaeology 36 37 38 39 A wide range of disciplines continue to debate the origin and defining characteristics of 40 the Anthropocene [1]. Yet, an undeniable signal of global human impact is the formation of 41 novel ecosystems and non-analogue assemblages, which have been created by the intentional and 42 accidental movement of species outside their native ranges in the context of land use change and 43 selective extinctions [2]. Human-mediated species translocations have fundamentally changed 44 the planet's biogeographic assembly rules by eroding the barriers separating islands, continents, 45 and hemispheres [3]. This reshaping of species ranges is not unique to present day human 46 societies: today's introduced species are part of a much longer legacy, with the earliest 47 documented translocation occurring approximately 20,000 years ago [4]. Since this Late 48 Pleistocene beginning, the advent of agricultural domestication and advancement of maritime 49 technology vastly increased the number of translocations and the geographic distance of the 50 translocation in the Holocene [5], and subsequently, colonial trade, industrial shipping, and the 51 wide-ranging effects of globalization have generated the Anthropocene biota that define our 52 modern landscapes [6]. 53 The ecological and economic impacts of such translocated species today are intensively 54 studied in management contexts, but whether and how the long-term (millennial-scale) sequence 55 of human-mediated species introductions have hindered or promoted subsequent introd...

show abstract

“…We find the region divided among two principle culture-areas, but defined by the mainland, with the Greater Antilles an extension of Central America, and the Lesser Antilles culturally bridging to northern South America. The archipelago was essentially undifferentiated from mainland areas in cultural or social characteristics, although localized social and linguistic variation was evident (Keegan 1994(Keegan , 1996Wilson 1989). Following a century of depopulation beginning with Columbus, the region was artificially transformed-redefined politically and culturally-by the invading Europeans.…”

Section: Definitions In Time and Spacementioning

confidence: 98%

Boundaries, Borders, and Reference Points: The Caribbean Defined as Geographic Region and Social Reality

Meniketti

2008

Int J Histor Archaeol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Terms used to describe a region often reflect and directly influence the way space, identity, and history are conceived or constructed. The Caribbean is one such place where external definitions frequently transcend simple geography and socio-political boundaries. The region can be understood by both temporal and cultural categories. The case is made in this paper that archaeological interpretations of social history are impacted by how one conceives of the region.

show abstract

West Indian archaeology. 2. After Columbus

Cited by 23 publications

References 23 publications

Late Precolonial Culinary Practices: Starch Analysis on Griddles from the Northern Caribbean

Late Precolonial Culinary Practices: Starch Analysis on Griddles from the Northern Caribbean

7,000 years of turnover: historical contingency and human niche construction shape the Caribbean’s Anthropocene biota

Boundaries, Borders, and Reference Points: The Caribbean Defined as Geographic Region and Social Reality

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About