Diet change in the Ceramic Age Caribbean archipelago

Summary

This paper addresses temporal changes in dietary practices in the Ceramic Age (500BC – AD1500) Caribbean. Evidence from human dental wear and pathology has indicated a broad shift in dietary practices from the Early Ceramic Age (500BC – AD600/800) to the Late Ceramic Age (AD600/800 – AD1500). Comparisons between the two periods revealed significant differences in the rate of dental wear and pathology, suggesting a growing focus on refined, cariogenic foods, most likely horticultural produce. Paleoethnobotanical studies throughout the region have, in parallel, revealed a broader and more diverse range of plants in Late, as opposed to Early, Ceramic Age assemblages. Although research biases toward the Late Ceramic must be considered, there appears to be a greater emphasis on tuberous plants (as well as sugary fruits) in the Late Ceramic Age. The plant component of the diet tends to be varied across space and time, with no single plant or group of plants dominating assemblages. The combined approach using dental and botanical evidence has provided evidence for temporal shifts in diet in highly diverse island environments. We discuss the significance of these data in the light of diachronic social and climatic changes in the Caribbean islands.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Model Environments: Human Ecodynamics on Islands

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