Crossing the Borders: New Methods and Techniques in the Study of Archaeological Materials from the Caribbean

104 / van Gijn, Lammers- Keijsers, and Briels
ers still predominantly use High Power microscopy, whereas Low Power studies are
preferred in the Americas. Because in the Caribbean area too, High Power analyses
have so far been rare, this chapter demonstrates the relative benefits of such an
analysis for well- preserved and well- documented find assemblages. Residue studies
form an essential aspect of this approach but will be dealt with elsewhere in
this volume (Nieuwenhuis this volume).
The Laboratory for Artifact Studies in Leiden, the Netherlands, where the functional
studies presented in this book have been conducted, has a range of microscopes
and other facilities, including stereomicroscopes, incident light microscopes
(fitted with polarizing filters and differential interference contrast [DIC]), and a
transmitted light microscope. One incident light microscope has a free arm, allowing
the examination of large objects like celts and ground stone tools. Equipment
to extract and process residue samples is present (see also Nieuwenhuis this
volume) and reference collections for residue, phytoliths, and (to a lesser extent)
starch analysis are present.
There is also a large experimental reference collection of used implements, including
almost 300 experiments specifically geared toward the Caribbean environment.
These experiments include tools made of Antigua flint, shell (bivalves
and Strombus gigas for the celts), coral (Porites porites, Acropora cervicornis and Acropora
palmata), and stone. The experiments are essential for use- wear and residue
analysis. Functional inferences are based on a comparison of experimental and
archaeological wear traces and residue. The more alike the two sets of observations
are, the higher the probability that the activity responsible for these traces is
the same.
Case Studies
Plum Piece
Plum Piece is located on Saba and dates to the Archaic Age (Figure 8.1). It is
situated away from the coast ca. 400 m above sea level, in a forested environment
(Hofman and Hoogland 2003; Hofman et al. 2006). The midden deposits
found contained flint (Briels 2004), shell celts, various ground stone tools such as
hammer- stones and querns (Nieuwenhuis this volume), and coral. Most of the
flint has been brought in from Antigua (Knippenberg personal communication).
Faunal remains include fragments of the mountain crab and the soldier crab, both
occurring at higher elevations, as well as a large amount of bird bones of the Audubon’s
Shearwater. This bird only resides on the island between February and July,
providing a very good seasonal indicator (Hofman and Hoogland 2003; Hofman
et al. 2006; Van den Bos 2006).
Preliminary functional and residue studies of flint and hard stone tools have
been carried out so far (Briels 2004; Nieuwenhuis this volume). A small sample of
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