Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

Aboriginal Indian Remains in Jamaica by J. E. Duerden / 207
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CHAPTER I
KITCHEN- MIDDENS, REFUSE- HEAPS,
SHELL- HEAPS, OR SHELL- MOUNDS
Any of these terms are sufficiently expressive and well known. With regard to
similar accumulations in America, Nadaillac (1885) states that there they are
“so generally composed almost entirely of marine or fresh- water shells, that the
term shell- heap, as applied to them, has here largely replaced the more cumbrous
term [ kitchen- midden] derived from the Danish.”
Mr. Cyrus Thomas in the “Report on the Mound Explorations” (1894), distinguishes
between a “heap” and a “mound,” regarding the former as a mere accumulation
of rubbish, while the latter is constructed with a specific design in
view. Limited in this way none of the Jamaican deposits would be spoken of
as “mounds,” seeing that they have always been formed by the mere accumulation
of refuse matter.
Within the past few months, as mentioned in the Introduction, a number
of shell- heaps have been discovered in Jamaica, and more or less systematically
explored. They occur, occupying extensive areas, often several acres in extent,
on both the north and south sides of the island, and in every case exhibit much
the same characters.
They have been found, up to the present, at the following spots [see Map on
accompanying CD].
On the South side: in the parish of St. Andrew, on the top and southern declivity
of the Long Mountain, at Botany Bay, Norbrook, and Hope; in St. Catherine,
at Marl Hill on the Caymanas Estate; and in Clarendon, at Vere. On the
North side: in Hanover, around Green Island Harbour and Lucea; in St. James,
at Williamsfield, Mammee Hill and Spotty Hill on the Tryall Estate, and at
Sheep Pen Pasture on the California Estate; in Trelawny at Wales, and Stewart
Castle; in St. Ann, at Retreat, Cranbrook, Friendship, and Belle Vue.
In the majority of cases the accumulations occur on elevations which command
a good prospect of the sea and country for miles around, and, so far, have
been discovered only near the sea border, those at Retreat, situated about six
miles from the sea, being the farthest inland.
The deposits consist, for the most part, of a great variety of species of both
land and marine shells, associated with fish bones and spines, lower- jaws and
bones of the Indian coney, turtle bones, crab claws, quantities of broken pottery,
broken stone and shell implements, often with layers of greyish wood
ashes mingled with fragments of charcoal. With a single exception, no object