This paper examines the viability of the reconstruction of gendered spaces at the site of El Flaco in North-Western Dominican Republic. It endeavors to set a foundation for a methodology that could...Show moreThis paper examines the viability of the reconstruction of gendered spaces at the site of El Flaco in North-Western Dominican Republic. It endeavors to set a foundation for a methodology that could facilitate further research into the topic based on previous studies. It also examines ethnographic studies to determine whether comparisons between the Amazon region of South America are helpful in understanding gendered spaces at El Flaco. It examines Ethnohistorical sources on the subject of gender from both the Amazon region and the Lesser Antilles and Greater Antilles to provide a useful comparative study. It also uses an Ethnohistorical source based on oral tradition of the indigenous people of Jamaica to gain some information on the gender division of labor and how it relates to gendered spaces. It was found that the potential for such reconstructions is possible but in the case of the site of El Flaco still more research is needed to make any conclusive assumptions about gendered spaces in the archaeological recordShow less
Almost 90 % of the archaeological sites in Barbados are located within one kilometre from the coast, implying some sort of preference towards it. Some scholars suggest this might be because the pre...Show moreAlmost 90 % of the archaeological sites in Barbados are located within one kilometre from the coast, implying some sort of preference towards it. Some scholars suggest this might be because the pre-colonial inhabitants of the island actually favoured those places, while concerns about a possible bias have been raised by others. Reasons for the latter become more obvious when looking at the nature of exploration; the coast has been extensively investigated, while inland research is often neglected. Due to this limited exploration, certain concepts and ideas about pre-colonial lifeways could become one-sided and biased. This is visible through a distinct pattern in literature, restricting pre-colonial ways of life to the shore and even excluding the work of other scholars, furthering the incompleteness of the research. Fortunately, various efforts have been made recently to address these issues, but it remains hard to grasp the scope of and reasoning behind this bias. Therefore, this research aims to study this bias by summarising acknowledged and unacknowledged biases from the archaeological literature on the island. Additionally, an overview of possible inland sites that were previously not mapped is created to further support the idea of a bias towards the coast. These include the so-called ‘Indian’ places, probably named after their former presence, registrations of artefacts at, for example, historical excavations, and also ecological factors that played a vital role in pre-colonial lifestyles. The results of this research show a clear relationship between potential inland sites and sources of freshwater, especially big rivers. There is a greater density of possible inland sites in the northern half of the island compared to the south, but this may be the result of the bias. Although actual fieldwork is needed to confirm the pre-colonial nature of these places, it clearly demonstrates a preference towards coastal archaeology by scholars rather than the pre-colonial inhabitants. Vastly limited by the lack of fieldwork and elaborate reporting, it remains hard to conclude with certainty how the story of those inhabitants would exactly change. However, it can be concluded that the general narrative focussed on the idea that pre-colonial life was mainly centred on the coast is probably more diverse.Show less
This thesis contextualizes the archaeological site of San Hironimo, a former contact site on Curaçao by comparing the settlement layout and the material culture to other contact sites in the...Show moreThis thesis contextualizes the archaeological site of San Hironimo, a former contact site on Curaçao by comparing the settlement layout and the material culture to other contact sites in the broader Caribbean. On Curaçao, the contact period begins with the arrival of the Spanish in 1499 on the island. The island was inhabited by the Indigenous population, the Caquetío. They primarily lived in villages throughout the island. The arrival of the Spaniards would have disastrous consequences for the native inhabitants. The majority of the Indigenous population was enslaved and deported against their will to Santo Domingo to work there in the gold mines. Only a fraction of the population remained. They had no free will, and their villages, including Ascension, were supervised by the Spanish. The Spanish were not the only Europeans who wanted to colonize Curaçao. In the 17th century, the Dutch defeated the Spanish and took over Curaçao. During the expulsion of the Spanish, the Dutch burned down Ascension. For a long time, the exact location of Ascension was unknown because the oldest maps that portrayed the village were inaccurate. Throughout the years, people began to search for the contact villages. In the 1980s and 1990s, objects of Indigenous and colonial material were collected on an archaeological site in the western part of Curaçao. The archaeologist Jay Haviser found clues in historical documents and on the oldest maps of the island, that this could possibly be Ascension. To confirm his beliefs, he conducted prospective research in the area in 1987. After his research, no information about the settlement layout, nor a feature analysis or material analysis was published. Additionally, his research was conducted in 1987 and since then new archaeological research methods have been introduced. To obtain more information about the contact village Ascension and the contact period in general in Curaçao, this thesis was written. This thesis uses the available knowledge that has already been documented in historical documents concerning the contact period in Curaçao. Especially, the published information about the contact period and the contact sites on Curaçao. Furthermore, new information will be revealed about the settlement layout and the material assembly of the San Hironimo site. Namely, for this thesis a feature analysis and a material analysis have been conducted with the assistance of archaeological (digital) methods that have been introduced after the time of Haviser’s excavation. The features encountered during the excavation were of Indigenous origin and were primarily found in the northern area of the research area. Features consisted of postholes, graves of an adult and child, and a pit. The artefacts collected at the site were mostly of Indigenous origin. However, European colonial material was present as well. The San Hironimo site is compared to contemporary contact villages of El Cabo in the Dominican Republic and Argyle on St. Vincent. The material culture collected at those sites show similarities with the San Hironimo collection. Especially, in the retrieved colonial material. Following previous excavations in the Lesser Antilles and Greater Antilles, the San Hironimo site fits perfectly in the picture of a contact site in the beginning of colonization in the Caribbean.Show less
At the excavations of Kelbey's Ridge II (1300-1350 CE) a male individual is discovered with a fish-shaped inhaler and two avian long bones in burial F068. Within this inhaler traces of cohoba ...Show moreAt the excavations of Kelbey's Ridge II (1300-1350 CE) a male individual is discovered with a fish-shaped inhaler and two avian long bones in burial F068. Within this inhaler traces of cohoba (Anadenanthera peregrina) can be found. This hallucinogenic snuff was used by caciques (chiefs) and behiques (shamans) of pre-Columbian peoples to get into a trance-like state and commune with the spirit world during a ''ritual de la cojoba''. The inhalers used during this ritual, along with other ritual paraphernalia, were considered to have great spiritual significance. Among the many pre-Columbian cultures of the Caribbean and the Orinoco delta, from which Anadenanthera peregrina was spread to the Cairbbean, it is customary when an individual passes away to burn and destroy their possesions. There are however instances documented where objects of great spiritual significance, like the ritual paraphernalia, are not destroyed but placed inside the graves of their owners. The individual buried at Kelbey's Ridge II was buried with a complete snuff inhaler and one might conclude that this individual in grave F068 would not only use the inhaler during the cohoba ritual, but also had such a strong connection to it, that he was buried with it.Show less
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...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
