Preceramic Faunal Exploitation at the Las Obas Site, Cuba (original) (raw)

FAUNAL REMAINS FROM THE ARCHAIC AND ARCHAIC CERAMIC SITE OF VEGA DEL PALMAR, CUBA

The earliest occupants of Cuba were hunter-gatherers that arrived from Central America approximately 5,000 years ago. While the broad outlines of Cuban prehistory are known, a lack of quantified faunal data and a limited number of radiocarbon dates hinder our ability to describe the subsistence economy in local and regional contexts. In this paper we present new vertebrate faunal data and radiocarbon dates from the pre-ceramic and early ceramic site of Vega del Palmar which is located near Cienfuegos on the south coast of Cuba, comparing the Archaic occupation with ceramics to the Archaic occupation that lacks ceramics.

Faunal Remains from the Archaic and Archaic with Ceramic Site of Vega del Palmar, Cuba.

Journal of Caribbean Archaeology, 2014

The earliest occupants of Cuba were hunter-gatherers that arrived from Central America approximately 5,000 years ago. While the broad outlines of Cuban prehistory are known, a lack of quantified faunal data and a limited number of radiocarbon dates hinder our ability to describe the subsistence economy in local and regional contexts. In this paper we present new vertebrate faunal data and radiocarbon dates from the pre-ceramic and early ceramic site of Vega del Palmar which is located near Cienfuegos on the south coast of Cuba, comparing the Archaic occupation with ceramics to the Archaic occupation that lacks ceramics.

Late Holocene land vertebrate fauna from Cueva de los Nesofontes, Western Cuba: Stratigraphy, chronology, diversity, and paleoecology

Palaeontologia Electronica , 2020

Here we report a Late Holocene fossil-rich cave deposit from Cueva de los Nesofontes, Mayabeque Province, Cuba. The deposit’s formation and its fauna were studied through a multidisciplinary approach that included stable isotope analyses, radiocarbon chronology, and stratigraphy. Thousands of microvertebrate skeletal remains were recovered, representing a diverse land vertebrate fauna that included threatened and extinct species. The deposit is characterized by profuse Nesophontes remains due to raptor predation. Previously unreported last appearance dates (LADs) are provided for the extinct ‘island-shrew’ Nesophontes major, the bats Artibeus anthonyi, and Phyllops vetus. Radiocarbon (14C AMS) age estimates between ~1960 rcyr BP and the present were acquired for the assemblage. The presence of locally extinct species, including the endemic parakeet Psittacara eups, the flicker Colaptes cf. fernandinae, the bat Antrozous koopmani, and the eulipotyphlan Solenodon cubanus, suggests that these species had broader distributions in the near past. Isotope analyses and faunal composition indicate the previous presence of diverse habitats, including palm grove savannas and mixed woodlands near the cave. Isotopes also provide insight into the habitat and coexistence of the extinct bat Artibeus anthonyi and extant A. jamaicensis, the diet of Nesophontes major, and local paleoenvironmental conditions. Oxygen isotopes reveal an excursion suggestive of drier/colder local conditions between 660 and 770 AD. Our research further expands the understanding of Cuban Quaternary extinction episodes and provides data on the distribution and paleoecology of extinct taxa. It supports the conclusion that many Cuban extinct species survived well into the pre-Columbian Late Holocene and retained wide distribution ranges until European colonization. Aquí reportamos un depósito rico en fósiles del Holoceno tardío en la Cueva de los Nesofontes, provincia de Mayabeque, Cuba. La formación del depósito y su fauna fueron estudiadas a través de un enfoque multidisciplinario que incluyó análisis de isótopos estables, cronología de radiocarbono y estratigrafía. Se recuperaron miles de restos esqueléticos de microvertebrados que representan una diversa fauna de vertebrados terrestres, incluyendo especies amenazadas y extintas. El depósito se caracterizó por abundantes restos de Nesophontes debido a la depredación de rapaces. Se proporcionan fechas de última aparición no reportadas previamente para la especie extinta Nesophontes major, los murciélagos Artibeus anthonyi y Phyllops vetus. Se obtuvieron estimaciones de edad de radiocarbono (14C AMS) entre ~ 1960 rcyr BP y el presente para los depósitos estudiados. La presencia de especies localmente extintas, incluido el catey Psittacara eups, el carpintero Colaptes cf. fernandinae, el murciélago Antrozous koopmani y el almiquí Solenodon cubanus, sugieren que estas especies tuvieron distribuciones más amplias en el pasado reciente. Los análisis de isótopos y la composición de la fauna indican la presencia de diversos hábitats, entre ellos sabanas con palmerales y bosques mixtos cerca de la cueva. Los isótopos también proporcionan información sobre el hábitat y la coexistencia del murciélago extinto Artibeus anthonyi y el A. jamaicensis aun existente, la dieta de Nesophontes major y las condiciones paleoambientales locales. Los isótopos de oxígeno revelaron una excursión que sugiere condiciones locales más secas/más frías entre 660 y 770 d.C. Nuestra investigación amplía aún más la comprensión de los episodios de extinción del Cuaternario cubano y proporciona datos sobre la distribución y paleoecología de taxones extintos. Apoyamos la conclusión de que muchas especies extintas cubanas sobrevivieron hasta bien entrado el Holoceno tardío precolombino y se conservaron amplios rangos de distribución hasta la colonización europea.

Interrelationship of the terranes in western and central Cuba—Comment

Tectonophysics, 1994

The present tectonic position and stratigraphy of the Sierra de 10s Organos and the Sierra de1 Rosario sequences in the Cordillera de Guaniguanico in Cuba (Fig. 1) is well known as a result of the geological mapping of the Pinar de1 Rio Province (Pszczolkowski et al., 1975). These data became the base for various tectonic and geodynamic interpretations of the western part of Cuba (for example, Mo~akowski et al., 1987; Puscharowski et al., 1989) **. The paper by K. Piotrowska (1993) is the latest attempt at explaining the paleotectonic history of some tectonic units (terranes) in the Pinar de1 Rio Province. I do not agree with some conclusions presented in this paper. Piotrowska (1993) states that all tectonic units of the Sierra de 10s Organos terrane in the Pinar de1 Rio Province (the metamorphosed units, the Mogote zone, Pizarras de1 Sur and Pizarras de1 Norte) are thrust over the 'Zaza zone' and the sequence of the ~orida-Bahamas (Piotrowska, *Editor's note: A reply to this paper was invited but unfortunately not received. It was therefore decided to publish the comment without the customary reply.

Museum Collections and Archaic Era Vertebrate Faunal Remains from Cuba

Environmental Archaeology, 2018

Museum collections are an underutilised source of environmental archaeological data. Curated collections often contain faunal and floral remains that can be analysed using new methods and to address various research questions. For example, the broad patterns of Archaic or preceramic subsistence adaptations are not well known for the Caribbean region, and for Cuba in particular, due to the ecological variability among the islands and limited, quantified faunal data from radiocarbon-dated sites. To address these issues, we present quantified vertebrate faunal data and new radiocarbon dates from museum-curated collections from three Cuban sites. Las Obas, La Vega del Palmar, and Los Caracoles are Archaic, dating between roughly 350 BC to AD 630, although Vega del Palmar contains Pre-Arawak Pottery Horizon ceramics. The three assemblages include a diversity of taxa from several habitats, including various species of hutia (Capromyidae). The taxonomy of these rodents varies among the sites as do the proportions of other taxa. In addition to abundant hutia, the sites' occupants exploited an array of fish, birds, reptiles and other mammals, including manatee. We compare the sites faunal assemblages and discuss their ecological significance as well as their place in Cuban prehistory.

Recent Archaeological Fieldwork from the Region around Los Buchillones: An Indigenous Site on the North-Central Cuban (Cooper, J.; Valcárcel Rojas, R. and J. Calvera)

Beyond the Blockade. New Currents in Cuban Archaeology, edited by Susan Kepecs, L.A. Curet y G. La Rosa, pp. 89-105. The University of Alabama Press. Tuscaloosa., 2010

We summarize here some of the results of recent collaborative archaeological research at and around the site of Los Buchillones in northern Cuba. The excavation of wooden structural posts at the site reveals aspects of house size and structural design. A coastal survey indicates the potential size of this coastal site. A survey and excavation of islands in the Jardines del Rey archipelago provides extensive evidence of indigenous marine resource and subsistence exploitation on these off-shore islands. Assemblages from island sites are compared with those from Los Buchillones. Radiocarbon dates provide evidence for the chronology of human activity at these different sites. Aquí presentamos los resultados de unas investigacións recientes en el sitio de Los Buchillones, en la costa norte de Cuba. La excavación de viviendas nos proporciona nueva informacion sobre el tamaño y el diseño de estas estructuras. Un recorrido a lo largo del litoral indica el tamaño arqueológico del sitio. Recorridos y excavaciones en las islas del archipiélago Jardines del Rey proporcionan evidencias nuevas sobre la utilización de recursos marinosen estas islas.

Pre-Hispanic Settlements Along the North Coast of Cuba: A Pilot Survey Report from Los Buchillones (Cooper and Valcárcel 2004)

Papers from the Institute of Archaeology. University College London, 2004

Report of a coastal survey conducted around the pre-Hispanic site of Los Buchillones located on the north coast of the Ciego de Avila province, in Cuba. The primary objective of the survey was to identify the extent of the Los Buchillones settlement site and investigate whether there were more pre-Hispanic occupation sites further along the coast. The secondary objective was to test different survey strategies and examine their suitability for the local wetland environment. Although there is no doubt that environmental conditions greatly affect the visibility of the archaeological evidence, this survey has shown that it is possible to conduct a useful archaeological survey in a mangrove swamp environment. This research presents an opportunity to investigate the inter-island and coastal networks of pre-Hispanic indigenous communities in this region by exploiting the great archaeological potential of the Cuban wetland environment.

Levisa 1. Studying the earliest indigenous peoples of Cuba in multicomponent archaeological sites

Early Settlers of the INSULAR CARIBBEAN Dearchaizing the Archaic, 2019

The archaeological site Levisa 1, in northeast Cuba, possesses one of the earlier radiocarbon dates for the so called ¨archaic¨ communities in this Island and one of the earliest one from the Caribbean region. For this reason that place is a basic reference for the study of the archaic groups. Also due to its location and potential link with other important archaic sites, and because possesses contexts that reflect diverse types and moments of pre-Arawak’s occupations, and even ceramic use. This paper revises the archaeological data of Levisa 1, the history of its investigation and its implications in the knowledge of the archaic societies in Cuba and the Caribbean. We discusses how the methodological and theoretical changes more than the incorporation of new data or a detailed and deep analysis of the available information have determined the understanding of that space.

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