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

Functional Analysis of Caribbean Tool Assemblages / 105
Figure 8.1. Location of the sites of Plum Piece, Saba,
and Morel and Anse à la Gourde on Guadeloupe.
the shell celts has been analyzed, showing them to have been used for heavy woodworking
(Figure 8.2a, b). With respect to Plum Piece the shell celts are assumed to
have been involved in canoe making, an activity that is likely to have taken place in
the tropical forest surrounding the site (Hofman and Hoogland 2003). Woodworking
traces were also found on three flint implements (Briels 2004), but the small
size of these flakes makes it unlikely that they were put to use in canoe making;
they were probably used for finely shaping wooden objects.
Besides wood, other plant material must have been important for subsistence
and craft activities as well. This can be inferred from the use- wear analysis of a
small selection of the extensive flint assemblage (Briels 2004). Of those tools displaying
wear traces, the majority concerned siliceous plants (Figure 8.2c). The edge
on which these traces were found was invariably obtuse. The polish found is very
bright, with a smooth texture and an undulating and domed topography (Figure
8.2c, d). Striations were not pronounced. Where present the striations and the directionality
in the polish distribution indicated a perpendicular motion such as
scraping or planing. Two varieties of plant polish could be distinguished: one with
and one without tiny “pin pricks.” This variation probably relates to two different
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