An Islandscape IFD: Predicting Archaeological Settlements from Grenada to St. Vincent, Eastern Caribbean

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Fifty Years of Fretwell and Lucas: Archaeological Applications of Ideal Distribution Models" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Building on the Caribbean-wide models presented in Giovas and Fitzpatrick (2014) and predictive models recently synthesized for Grenada, this study focuses on a fine-grained analysis of environmental and cultural factors affecting settlement locations in the multi-island/archipelagic region from St. Vincent and the Grenadines south through Carriacou and Grenada. We compiled an inventory of all archaeological sites in the area, designating a sub-sample of settlements for analysis based on availability of accurate data (ceramic types, radiocarbon dates, confirmed locations). A multivariate analysis of environmental data was then conducted on each settlement, including soil attributes, proximity to freshwater/stream beds, structure and sizes of marine environments (grasslands, reefs), and net primary productivity layers. Common variables were analyzed to discern which areas would be the most suitable in an unsettled landscape, and the timing of settlement for each area was then predicted using an IFD model. The model was iteratively tested and refined using the remaining site inventory locations. Stronger predictions of settlement patterns were made when an island-centric approach was set aside for a larger islandscape perspective. Notably, the pattern of longevity seen at the earliest sites highlights potential Allee effect/conspecific density dependence factors that correlate to larger notions of cultural niche construction.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Fifty Years of Fretwell and Lucas: Archaeological Applications of Ideal Distribution Models   •
• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 24009