Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

Cultural Variants / 93
Figure 24. The Port Morant style (O17, O18).
the remaining 39 being mostly incised. Twenty- two vessel shapes could be reconstructed,
including 10 restricted carinate, two restricted simple, and 10 unrestricted
simple. The material is illustrated in the CD- ROM at the entry for
Spanish Wood (O2.1–15). The characteristics of the assemblage are also summarized
in diagrammatic form in Figure 25.
It is clear that further investigation is needed to confirm the validity of the
Port Morant variant. A detailed study of Vanderwal’s material from Spanish
Wood and Bowden would be a first step in this direction, and new excavations
at these or others of the sites listed by Lee would also be required. But Tyndale-
Biscoe’s suggestion does have merit, and in the meantime this cultural variant
may be regarded as having the same kind of status as Montego Bay.
White Marl
This is the predominant style represented on the island. All the other sites (157
middens and 60 caves) are placed in this group by default, so it may be something
of a ragbag, but the group as such is certainly a reality. Howard proposed
the term White Marl for it, “since it is at this site that the style appears in its
most characteristic and complete form and it is here that its development can
be traced over a period of several centuries” (Howard 1965:252). Among other
things, Howard noted the following features that defined the pottery, the main
constituent in the style (Howard 1950:135–154; 1956:49–54). Incision, application,
punctation, and modeling were employed as decorative techniques