Fishing for knowledge: A comparative analysis of the Pre-Columbian Caribbean shell fish hook

Fishing played an important role in the subsistence economy of the Indigenous people of the Caribbean. Therefore, a lot of research has focused on the fishing techniques and tools that were used by these peoples before 1492. Already, a lot is known about which fishes were caught, how they were caught, and which tools were used to catch these fishes. However, one particular tool has often been overlooked and, thus, received little attention as of yet. As this thesis will show, Pre-Columbian Caribbean shell fish hooks are a relevant artifact of which its importance needs to be recognized. The gaps of knowledge that current are strongly present in Caribbean shell fish hook literature will be filled up by the means of a comparative analysis. There will be looked at shell fish hooks from three other regions: Hawaii, Australia, and California. The shell fish hooks from these regions have been studied more thoroughly than the Caribbean fish hooks, meaning that a comparison will prove...Show moreFishing played an important role in the subsistence economy of the Indigenous people of the Caribbean. Therefore, a lot of research has focused on the fishing techniques and tools that were used by these peoples before 1492. Already, a lot is known about which fishes were caught, how they were caught, and which tools were used to catch these fishes. However, one particular tool has often been overlooked and, thus, received little attention as of yet. As this thesis will show, Pre-Columbian Caribbean shell fish hooks are a relevant artifact of which its importance needs to be recognized. The gaps of knowledge that current are strongly present in Caribbean shell fish hook literature will be filled up by the means of a comparative analysis. There will be looked at shell fish hooks from three other regions: Hawaii, Australia, and California. The shell fish hooks from these regions have been studied more thoroughly than the Caribbean fish hooks, meaning that a comparison will prove useful. Within this comparison, special attention will be given to the manufacturing process of the shell fish hook, its use, the created typology and the role of men and women in relation to the artifact. It has become clear that certain aspects of the Pre-Columbian shell fish hook, of which the role of males and females is most notable, must be re-evaluated. The role of females in Pre-Columbian society is largely studied with a western bias in mind, something that researchers must stop doing. Women from all the other regions have played a large role in the collection of marine resources and sometimes also the manufacture of shell tools, meaning that the role of women must not be underestimated. It can be concluded that there is a lot of information to be gained of the largely unstudied Pre-Columbian Caribbean fish hook by looking at similar fish hooks from various regions across the globe. These results, furthermore, are expected to result in a more attentive focus on the recognition of the Caribbean shell fish hook during research. This thesis can be the starting point of further detailed research into the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean through the analyses of the Pre-Columbian Caribbean shell fish hook. This tool can be used to track the diaspora of peoples into the Caribbean and can, furthermore, be explored even further in attempts to connect the Caribbean with mainland South and North America.Show less

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Fishing for knowledge: A comparative analysis of the Pre-Columbian Caribbean shell fish hook