Stone artefact production and exchange among the northern Lesser Antilles

<p>This work discusses the exchange of stone materials and artefacts among the northern Lesser Antilles during the Ceramic Age (500 BC - AD 1492). Through the systematic analysis of source materials and a comparison of these with lithic artefacts, the provenance of a significant portion of stone material found at a number of prehistoric Amerindian habitation sites located on different islands from Puerto Rico to Martinique was determined. Following this the distribution of three specific materials, including a variety of flint from Long Island, Antigua, a grey-green mudstone and a multi-coloured conglomerate, both form St. Martin, were specified. These distribution patterns along with data on the production of the artefacts were used to determine the mode of exchange that was responsible for their spread. From these data it appeared that inter-island exchange was a recurrent feature among Amerindian society in the Caribbean throughout the entire Ceramic Age. Furthermore the differences in distributions through time could be related to changes in socio-political organisation within the region and supported the notion of increasing competition within society.</p>

本研究探讨了陶瓷时代（公元前500年—公元1492年）小安的列斯群岛北部的石器原料与石制人工制品流通状况。通过系统性分析原料来源，并将其与出土石制品进行比对，本研究明确了从波多黎各至马提尼克岛诸岛多处史前美洲印第安人居住遗址中出土的大部分石器原料的产地。在此基础上，本研究厘清了三种特定原料的分布模式：产自安提瓜岛长岛的各类燧石，以及产自圣马丁岛的灰绿色泥岩与彩色砾岩。结合上述分布模式与人工制品生产相关数据，本研究进一步明确了推动这些原料扩散的交换模式。分析结果显示，跨岛交换在整个陶瓷时代的加勒比美洲印第安人社会中均为常态化特征。此外，原料分布随时间推移产生的差异，可与该区域内社会政治组织的演变相关联，同时也佐证了加勒比社会内部竞争日趋激烈的观点。