On the Question of the Absence of Archaic Age Sites on Jamaica

Abstract

ABSTRACT Archaic Age sites are found on the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and as far east as Antigua. Some of these sites date to as early as the fourth millennium BC. However, to date, no sites of this period have been found on Jamaica despite attempts to locate them. The earliest known human occupations date to shortly after AD 600 with sites containing Ostionoid ceramics. The reasons why Archaic peoples did not occupy Jamaica or why their sites have eluded archaeologists are explored. Specifically, environmental factors such as navigational difficulties, hurricane activity, and sea-level changes are considered. The results suggest that rough sea conditions around Jamaica discouraged settlement until social changes during the Ostionoid period favored the construction of large canoes.