Jessica Stone

Recent archaeological investigation at the Coconut Walk site on the Caribbean island of Nevis revealed dense 40 cm deep midden deposits that accumulated between cal AD 890-1440. Analysis of invertebrate faunal remains reveals an assemblage dominated by nerite snails. We measured the length and width of more than 2700 tessellated nerite (Nerita tessellata) shells to investigate evidence for changing mean size that might be indicative of intensifying human predation pressure or other cultural and natural processes. Contrary to similar archaeomalacological studies in which size decline is detected, we observed a statistically significant size increase for N. tessellata over time. This size increase is coupled with increasing levels of tessellated nerite exploitation at the Coconut Walk site. Results suggest that tessellated nerite use was sustainable over several centuries of site occupation. Our findings have important implications for investigations of anthropogenic impacts on prehistoric mollusc populations. In addition, the findings reported here provide important insight into human subsistence patterns during the Late Ceramic Age in the Caribbean and a framework for comparison with observations from other Pre-Columbian sites in the Caribbean.

In this study, we conducted one of the most detailed and comprehensive analyses to date of a pre-Columbian mollusk assemblage in the Caribbean. The robust sample, from the island of Nevis in the northern Lesser Antilles, comprised more than 58,000 individuals recovered from a 25 m2 (40 cm deep) midden deposit at the Late Ceramic Age (ca. AD 890–1440) site of Coconut Walk. Using this sample, we examined mollusk exploitation over a ca. 600-year time period, which revealed heavy dependence on only a few species. Statistical analysis demonstrates that even though mollusk harvesting intensified through time, there was an increase of more than 10 % in the average individual weight of the three main species and a ten-fold increase in harvesting generally. These data, in conjunction with a previously observed size increase of one of the three taxa (Nerita tessellata)—which was increasingly preyed on through time—infer a level of sustainability contra to prey-choice models in which over-exploitation is an expected outcome. Overall, the foraging of mollusks at this site appears to have been sustainable for ~six centuries based on the absence of evidence for over-harvesting and increase in size during the time of occupation, regardless of its causation (anthropogenic, climatic, environmental, or otherwise).

Remote Oceania was one of the last geographical areas to be colonized by humans. However, the timing, direction, and origins of settlement are still unclear, particularly for Micronesia. Past research demonstrates that a transdisciplinary approach utilizing genetic, linguistic, and archaeological evidence can be successful in establishing a basic chronology for settlement of much of the region, but the general coarseness of the data, as well as a paucity of human skeletal remains in the region, have prevented researchers from identifying a point of origin for the earliest Micronesians1,2. The Chelechol ra Orrak site, one of two burial sites in the Pacific that extend back prior to ca. 2500 BP, and the earliest burial site in Micronesia, is allowing for direct study of early population dispersals into Remote Oceania via ancient DNA (aDNA) and isotopic analyses in an effort to better understand population dispersals and mobility of the earliest Palauans from a variety of geographical scales.

The Chelechol ra Orrak site is one of the largest and oldest cemetery sites in the Pacific Islands. Dating back to at least 2800 BP, the site contains the remains of descendant Palauan populations that may represent individuals who lived within 20-25 generations of the archipelago’s first colonists dating back to between ca. 3300-3000 BP. This paper builds on pilot work at Chelechol ra Orrak and explores facets of paleodiet through stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen. To date, twenty individuals have been assayed, and nineteen provide data with good collagen yields. Bone collagen results for stable carbon isotope ratios average -15.9‰ and for stable nitrogen isotope ratios 11.0‰. Bone apatite results for stable carbon isotope ratios average -8.7‰ and apatite-collagen spacing averages 7.2‰. Overall the data are consistent with a marine-based diet supplemented by terrestrial foods, as evidenced by enriched carbon and nitrogen values. Enriched values for bone apatite suggest potential consumption of dietary carbohydrates that may include sugar cane and/or seaweed. When compared to other contemporary groups in the Pacific, the Chelechol ra Orrak samples are broadly similar to early colonizing Lapita populations in Vanuatu and Fiji, which also reflect a marine based supplemented by some terrestrial resources. This paper focuses on the newly expanded dataset and integrates life history data for this population towards a better understanding of the range of dietary diversity at the site.

The majority of archaeological sites in the Caribbean are under threat from various natural and cultural processes. This is particularly true for the smaller and more vulnerable islands in the Lesser Antilles. Here we report on the 2001 rescue recovery of human skeletal remains that were observed to be actively eroding into the sea at Boiling Rock, an Archaic Age site along the southeast coast of Barbuda. Analysis of the remains, representing three individuals, included an osteological inventory, stable isotope analysis to infer paleodiet, and direct radiocarbon dating. While excavation and recording were expedited due to the need for salvaging the skeletal remains and associated archaeological material, the results are an important contribution to the early stages of settlement on the island. This includes adding to the inventory of known Archaic Age sites on Barbuda (from six to seven), providing the only directly dated Archaic individual on the island going back to 3560-3220 cal years BP, isotopic analysis revealing a reliance on endemic marine protein and terrestrial C 3 carbohydrates, and the description of grave goods, which is generally rare for burials of this age.

The abundance of marine mollusks found in Pre-Columbian archaeological sites in the Caribbean has made them enticing sample types for radiocarbon dating. Unfortunately, a paucity of local marine reservoir corrections (ΔR) for most of the region limits building chronologies using marine-based carbonates. Here we present a suite of 33 new ΔR values for 22 islands in both the Greater and Lesser Antilles derived from known-age shells pre-dating A. D. 1950 (i.e., pre-atomic testing) and is the first intensive radiocarbon dating effort in the region to examine ΔR effects. The spatial coverage and corrections presented here demonstrate wide variation within and between islands across the Antilles, Bahamian archipelago, and islands that skirt the coast of northern South America. Correction values range from 282 ± 24 yr in Grenada to − 547 ± 36 yr in Anegada. Calibration of published radiocarbon dates on archaeological marine shell using these new ΔR values demonstrates the need for caution when dating marine shell in the Caribbean, but illustrates the potential for these corrections to provide more accurate radiocarbon chronologies. Research is now focused on identifying the causal mechanisms behind the high variability in Caribbean ΔR and the implications these data have for refining radiocarbon sequences in the region, particularly for islands where there are currently no ΔR values.

Objective: To explore the frequency and severity of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) and its causative factors in a skeletal assemblage from the prehistoric site of Chelechol ra Orrak, Palau, western Micronesia. Materials: 50 temporomandibular joint surfaces (mandibular condyles and articular eminences), representing a minimum of 22 adult individuals, 17 of which retain teeth. Methods: Joint surfaces were macroscopically evaluated for characteristics associated with TMJ-OA and joint morphology. Dental remains were scored for tooth wear and staining. Results: Nine individuals (40.1 %) displayed lesions typical of TMJ-OA. The strongest associations were between tooth wear and TMJ-OA. Conclusions: Indirect effects of parafunctional dental activity appear to be a factor in TMJ-OA frequency at Chelechol ra Orrak. While betel nut chewing may be one of those activities, it does not appear to be solely driving the presence of TMJ-OA. Significance: This study highlights the association between a specific parafunctional use of the tempor-omandibular joint and the potential pathological consequences. It also reinforces the need to carefully evaluate the archaeological context of skeletal remains in order to evaluate specific etiological factors in the presence of TMJ-OA in present and past populations. Limitations: Sample sizes are limited in this study. This will increase as excavations continue. Suggestions for Further Research: Because dental occlusion appears to be associated with TMJ-OA, focus on dental conditions affecting occlusal patterns, such as third molar agenesis, antemortem tooth loss, and malocclusion, and their relationship to TMJ-OA frequency, are recommended.

Human settlement of the Caribbean represents the only example in the Americas of peoples colonizing islands that were not visible from surrounding mainland areas or other islands. Unfortunately, many interpretive models have relied on radiocarbon determinations that do not meet standard criteria for reporting because they lack critical information or sufficient provenience, often leading to specious interpretations. We have collated 2484 radiocarbon determinations, assigned them to classes based on chronometric hygiene criteria, and constructed Bayesian colonization models of the acceptable determinations to examine patterns of initial settlement. Colonization estimates for 26 islands indicate that (i) the region was settled in two major population dispersals that likely originated from South America; (ii) colonists reached islands in the northern Antilles before the southern islands; and (iii) the results support the southward route hypothesis and refute the "stepping-stone model."

Stable isotope studies of early human populations in Remote Oceania, the last major region to be settled by humans, have the potential to shed light on our understanding of dietary adaptations to small island environments. However, little research has focused on western Micronesia, which was settled ca. 3500-3000 cal B.P., contemporaneous with the better-known Lapita culture. Human skeletal remains recovered from three archaeological sites in Palau, Micronesia, dating between ca. 3000 and 1500 cal B.P., were tested for light stable isotope ratios to determine patterns of paleodiet. Results from bone collagen of 23 samples are characterized by moderately high δ 15 N values (avg. 11.4‰) and δ 13 C values (avg.-14.8‰), reflecting significant consumption of marine protein resources. Bone apatite δ 13 C values (avg.-7.3‰) suggest consumption of 13 C-enriched dietary carbohydrates , which could potentially include seaweed or sugarcane. Results correspond well with complementary archaeological evidence, demonstrating that early Palauans were heavily dependent on marine food resources and are similar to contemporary Lapita groups, suggesting that endemic marine resources were critical to successful colonization of these small, remote island environments.

Recent excavation at Ucheliungs Cave in Palau has provided new evidence in the debate concerning the colonisation of the Palauan archipelago. An abundance of faunal material and the presence of transported artefacts contradict a previous interpretation that the site represents an early burial cave containing purported small-bodied humans. New radiocarbon dates suggest long-term use of the cave for both mortuary activity and small-scale marine foraging that may slightly precede the accepted date for the earliest human occupation of Palau. The results of this research here discount earlier claims for insular dwarfism among the earliest inhabitants of these islands.