Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

168 / Appendix A.
the shore, and they are dangerous. Inshore species of bony fish (Osteichthyes)
include snook (Centropomus), porgies and breams (Sparidae), jack (Caranx),
mullet (Mugil ), and tarpon (Megalops atlanticus). Wing comments that the
last two must have been caught with seine nets, which implies the use of net
sinkers. Harpoons may have been used to catch the manatee and the alligator.
Bank and reef fish account for 10 percent (74) of the total, among them in particular
snappers (Lutjanus) and groupers (Serranidae). There is only one tuna
(Thunnus) representing offshore (pelagic) fish. There were “abundant” crabs in
the sample but since they could not be more closely identified they were not included
in the tabulated figures. In sum, as Wing puts it, subsistence at White
Marl was mainly based on land mammals, and the marine resources exploited
were primarily estuarine.
The study of the molluscan remains presented by Silverberg and colleagues
(1972) relates to Vanderwal’s sample from 1965 and not to Howard’s from
1964. Over 100,000 shells were collected representing more than 80 species,
but the details given in the report are sparse. Forty- two of the species are said
to represent an open shoreline environment, in particular Melongena melongena
and Arca spp. Other environments represented include rocky shorelines,
mangroves, and lagoons, with only two riverine species. Land snails, particularly
Pleurodonts, were also abundant. “In the lowest two levels of excavation,
a non- edible snail, Sagda sp., occurs to the virtual exclusion of edible species
of mollusca, suggesting a long- standing pristine environment.” In succeeding
levels, their numbers drastically decreased, “probably due to cultural destruction
of their habitat.”
References: AJ 1965, 9:1; 1966, 1:1–2; 1967, 3:2; 1967, 6:1; 1967, 8:1–
3; 1968, 4:1; 1973, 4:2; 1981, 2:1–4; 1982, 3:20–21; Cundall 1939:16, 20;
Daily Gleaner 1967; du Quesnay 1965a, 1965b, 1967; Duerden 1897:14–
15; Howard 1950, 1956, 1961–1962, 1965; Howard and Lewis 1961–1962;
Jury 1967; Silverberg et al. 1972; St. Clair 1969, 1970; Tyndale- Biscoe 1954;
Vanderwal 1967, 1968a, 1968d.
Rodney’s House (S5)
First reported by Tyndale- Biscoe (1954) who carried out some digging here.
He mentioned finding a pendant of limestone, about 1 3/4 in long, somewhat
barrel shaped, with a transverse hole bored through it near the top and a decorative
line cut around the top. Described as a “moderately sized village” and
mapped by Lee in 1967. Excavated by J. C. Wilman in February–July 1978,