The Earliest Inhabitants: The Dynamics of the Jamaican Taino

collections. Knowledge of the provenance or context of an artefact or feature
is critical in archaeology, as it makes possible identification of associated artefacts
or features, establishment of the chronology of the stratum or site, and
educated assumptions about the site’s function.
Archaeology is renowned as an interdisciplinary subject. The Jamaican
archaeological research establishment needs to embrace the various scientific
techniques available in the island. At the University of the West Indies, the
International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences offers analytic
techniques such as neutron activation analysis (NAA), X-ray diffraction and
X-ray fluorescence, which can help archaeological data reveal more information.
However, the high cost of scientific analytical tools limits their application
in Jamaican archaeological investigations. This is especially apparent in
regard to radiocarbon (C 14 ) dating, as this method is only available overseas
and is extremely expensive.
Publication of archaeological research is a serious matter. The JNHT, as the
agency in charge of research and protection of the island’s archaeological
resources, needs to produce and encourage more publications, and to conduct
its own research on Taíno archaeology. At present the research on Jamaican
Taíno archaeology, with the exception of rescue archaeology, is being conducted
by the University of the West Indies and overseas archaeologists.
Jamaica’s prehistory needs to be studied in relation to the developments taking
place in the wider Caribbean and not as an isolated phenomenon.
It is difficult, in a developing country like Jamaica, to see the importance of
the island’s archaeological heritage when the country is burdened with debt
and essential socioeconomic matters demand attention and action. In Jamaica
the preservation of culture is not considered important outside of the possibility
of economic gain. As we move into the twenty-first century, archaeologists,
conservators and cultural resource personnel need to come together and
address these issues.
This book, The Earliest Inhabitants: The Dynamics of the Jamaican Taíno,
seeks to promote Jamaican Taínan archaeology and highlights the variety of
the research conducted on the island’s prehistoric sites and artefacts. The text
consists of a compilation of fourteen papers – six reprinted articles (edited
slightly for style and audience) that were deemed to be of archaeological significance,
and the remaining articles are based on recent archaeological
research. These fourteen chapters are subdivided into four thematic areas:
Assessment and Excavations of Taíno Sites, Taíno Exploitation of the Natural
Resources, Analysis of Taíno Archaeological Data, and Taíno Art Forms.
The four themes were selected in an effort to illustrate the diverse areas of
research conducted in the island. The first section, Assessment and
Excavations of Taíno Sites, looks at the various archaeological investigations
I NTRODUCTION
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