Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

164 / Appendix A.
Table 16. Radiocarbon Dates for Middens 2 and 3 at White Marl.
them in an endeavor to find postholes that might be indicative of house structures.
In this he did not succeed. The excavation proceeded by way of 10-in arbitrary
levels. He reported that in each of the three middens, a single burial was
discovered at the bottom of the deposits. The first skeleton found was that of a
young man in his mid- or late twenties, who had been buried in a seated flexed
position. The other two skeletons, also flexed, were interred lying on the left
side (Howard 1961–1962:63–64). “Each burial appeared to have been placed
on the original ground surface and the refuse then deposited on it over a period
of time” (Howard 1965:251). None of the burials were intrusive. Radiocarbon
dates for middens 2 and 3 (Table 16) were reported by Silverberg and
colleagues (1972).
As Silverberg and colleagues pointed out, the two oldest dates for middens
2 and 3 are quite early (the oldest obtained for the site) and they suggested “a
first occupation at about AD 900.” “One midden 3 date (Y-1119) is at the
late end of the sequence, but it is so recent compared to the other midden 3
date (Y-1117) as to suggest contamination of the sample” (Silverberg et al.
1972:41). Excluding Y-1119, the calibrated date range for Y-1117 and Y-1118
comes to ca. a.d. 860–1130.
During these excavations, Howard confirmed Tyndale- Biscoe’s observations
in regard to the marl layers. He suggested that “deliberate marling” may have
been carried out periodically in order to “sweeten” or “freshen” the site, alternatively
it could have reflected “ceremonial or cyclical renewal practices,” or
(rather as Tyndale- Biscoe had suggested) “the preparation of a fresh occupation
surface after temporary desertion of the site” (Howard 1961–1962:63).
No evidence was obtained to support the view that they might have been house
floors (Silverberg et al. 1972:43).
In 1964 Howard excavated two trenches in two middens, A (to the north)
and B (to the south), as shown in a “schematic representation” reproduced by
Silverberg and colleagues (Appendix 30).
Excavation was carried out in 5 x 5 ft squares, and proceeded by way of 6-in
arbitrary levels, according to a uniform grid. The larger excavated area shown
between the two mounds seems to correspond to the one investigated by him