Abstract
The archaeology of Amerindian settlements in the Caribbean has mostly been identified through scatters of artefacts; predominantly conglomerations of shells, ceramics and lithics. While archaeological material may not always be visible on the surface, particular settlement patterns may be identifiable by a topography created through cultural action: earthen mounds interchanging with mostly circular flattened areas. In northern Hispaniola, recent foot surveys have identified more than 200 pre-colonial sites of which several have been mapped in high resolution. In addition, three settlements with topographical characteristics have been extensively excavated, confirming that the mounds and flattened areas may have had a cultural connotation in this region. Without the availability of high resolution LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data, a photogrammetric approach using UAS (unmanned aircraft system, commonly known as drones) can fill the knowledge gap on a local scale, providing fast and reliable data collection and precise results. After photogrammetric processing, digital clearance of vegetation, and extraction of the georeferenced DEM (digital elevation model) and orthophoto, filters and enhancements provide an opportunity to visualize the results in GIS. The outcome provides an overview of site size, and distribution of mounds and flattened areas. Measurement of the topographic changes in a variety of past settlements defines likely zones of habitat, and provides clues on the actual dimensions and density of living space. Understanding the relation of the mounds and adjacent flat areas within their environment allows a discussion on how, and for what purpose, the settlement was founded at a particular location, and provides clues about its spatial organization.
Highlights
Of the hundreds of thousands of indigenous people that populated the Greater Antilles at the time of colonial encounters, only few survived the decades following the arrival of Columbus in 1492 due to diseases, mistreatment, enslavement and famine [1]
Coastal production sites were situated near the mangrove forests, while it appears that large scale settlements were situated in flatter regions in the hinterland, and connected via smaller ‘lookouts’ on hill tops in the Cordillera Septentrional, which separates the fertile Cibao valley with the river Yaque from the sea [10]
In the Greater Antilles, indigenous plazas have been characterized by large geometric spaces
Summary
Background and RationaleOf the hundreds of thousands of indigenous people that populated the Greater Antilles at the time of colonial encounters, only few survived the decades following the arrival of Columbus in 1492 due to diseases, mistreatment, enslavement and famine [1] (pp. 90–101). Evidence of Hispaniola’s once dense population pattern is encountered in the material culture remains of the numerous settlements that dotted the island, many of which have been identified in archaeological surveys [5,6,7,8,9,10], [11] In the Greater Antilles, indigenous plazas have been characterized by large geometric spaces that had a ceremonial function, and often adjacent to areas with a residential purpose The extensive leveled surfaces identified in the survey are unlike the well-known indigenous ceremonial plazas in the eastern and southeastern part of the island or in well-known indigenous ceremonial plazas in the eastern and southeastern part of the island or in Puerto Rico, demarked by vertical stones featuring petroglyphs. Quite severely differentiating from the mid-twentieth century plan [61] the oval shaped mound is highlighted in the 3D model, while the mid-twentieth century plan [61] the oval shaped mound is highlighted in the 3D model, while the purpose of the piles of small boulders in the surrounding landscape is undetermined
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