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Article Dans Une Revue Revista de Arqueología Americana Année : 2023

Diversity and similarity in the Ceramic Age lapidary production in the Caribbean islands

Diversidad y similitud en la producción lapidaria de la época Cerámica en las islas del Caribe

Résumé

Personal ornaments are an important part of the archaeological record, as theyprovide valuable insights into various aspects of past human societies. Amongthese ornaments, those made of lithic materials are particularly significant due to their wide distribution and excellent preservation in archaeological sites. In the Caribbean islands, during the Ceramic Age, lapidary artifacts exhibit remarkable abundance and diversity in terms of both raw materials and typology. While archaeologists have previously highlighted differences between the Saladoid and Post-Saladoid periods, this was based on incomplete data without robust mineralogical or typological identification. A South-American origin of the specific lapidary production of the Early Ceramic period has been proposed, following the origin of Ceramic production styles, but relies on the same incomplete data. In this article, I demonstrate that robust analysis of extensive datasets, combining first-hand identification and literature survey, enables to address the questions of spactial and temporal distribution, diversity and similarity of lithic beads and pendants during the Caribbean Age in the Antilles. The study reveals that the Early and Middle Ceramic periods exhibit higher raw material and typological diversity compared to later periods. Furthermore, similarities are greater between sites attributed to the same period than between geographically close sites, both in terms of mineralogy and typology. Finally, I establish that the lapidary production during the Early Ceramic Age differs significantly between South American sites and Saladoid sites in the archipelago. Some indications pointing to the Isthmo-Colombian area are proposed, which will require further research to enhance our understanding to the same level as that of the Caribbean islands, enabling advanced comparisons.
Los ornamentos personales, y especialmente aquellos hechos de materiales líticos, son una parte importante del registro arqueológico, ya que proporcionan valiosas perspectivas sobre varios aspectos de las sociedades humanas pasadas. En el período Cerámico de las islas del Caribe, los artefactos lapidarios exhiben una notable abundancia y diversidad en términos tanto de materiales crudos como de tipología. Un análisis robusto de conjuntos de datos extensos permite abordar las preguntas sobre la distribución espacial y temporal, así como la diversidad de cuentas y pendientes líticos durante este período. Demuestro que los períodos Cerámicos temprano y medio exhiben una mayor diversidad de materias primas y tipologías en comparación con los períodos posteriores. Se muestra que las similitudes mineralógicas y tipológicas son mayores entre los sitios atribuidos al mismo período que entre sitios geográficamente cercanos. La producción lapidaria durante el Saladoide difiere significativamente entre el continente y el archipiélago. Se proponen algunas indicaciones que apuntan al área istmo-colombiana, las cuales requerirán más investigación para mejorar nuestra comprensión al mismo nivel que la de las islas del Caribe, permitiendo comparaciones avanzadas.
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Dates et versions

hal-04603373 , version 1 (06-06-2024)

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Alain Queffelec. Diversity and similarity in the Ceramic Age lapidary production in the Caribbean islands. Revista de Arqueología Americana, 2023, 41, pp.191-244. ⟨10.35424/rearam.v0i41.4308⟩. ⟨hal-04603373⟩

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