Human–environment interactions in a Bahamian dune landscape: A geoarchaeological study of a new Lucayan burial site

Abstract

AbstractInvestigations were undertaken following the discovery of two Lucayan burials in an Atlantic coast sand dune on Long Island, The Bahamas (site LN‐101), in the aftermath of Hurricane Joaquin in 2015. The dune burials were the first of their kind to be documented and systematically excavated, and they were associated with uncommon Atlantic coast Lucayan sites. We describe the first systematic archaeological prospection and investigation of coastal geomorphology in the region, applying grain‐size analysis to assess the dune's natural history; basic geochemical analysis to detect anthropogenic impacts and determine agricultural potential; radiocarbon dating as a chronological anchor for reconstructing dune development; drone mapping and georeferencing to document landscape trajectories; and the potential of clay‐like soils with respect to pottery production. Significantly, the dune was relatively stable during and after Lucayan occupation, before Hurricane Joaquin stripped about 10 m from the dune face. The results contribute to refined modeling of past and future impacts, especially those attributed to modern climate change, by linking changes in geomorphology to human activities that began over 1000 years ago. The study contributes to a growing body of Caribbean research into the deep‐time impacts of sea‐level change, coastal geomorphology, erosion, climate change, and hurricane activity.