Pre-Colombian Jamaica: Caribbean Archeology and Ethnohistory

26 / Chapter 2.
1668 (Agorsah 1994:Figure on p. 180). It is not clear whether phases (2)
and (1) should be combined, in the event that the sequence at the site is to
be interpreted in terms of two, rather than three, periods.
(3) The “top cultural level,” dated 1734–1735, corresponding to the occupation
of Old Nanny Town by British colonial forces at that time (Agorsah
1994:Figure on p. 174).
In sum, the existence of an Arawak “independent” horizon at the base of
the sequence is attested to by some elements of material culture, especially the
terra- cotta figurines (which in the Pre- Columbian context would normally be
referred to as adornos). As such it can be compared with other inland Arawak
sites. Its prolongation beyond 1655, and its coexistence with the Maroons, is
clearly more questionable, at least until the finds and their contexts are more
fully published.
Excavations have been conducted at Paradise Park, a private estate immediately
east of Savanna- la- Mar and north of Bluefields Bay, by Keegan. Following
an initial investigation by Roderick Ebanks, Keegan was invited to undertake
further work at the site by the landowners, the late Tony Clarke and his son
“Busha” Clarke (Carlson and Keegan 2004; Keegan 2002). In fact, it turns out
that there are two settlements east of the Deans Valley River, one described as
Ostionan (Redware) and the other as Meillacan. The Meillacan site was originally
referred to as comparable to White Marl, but it is now said to have indications
of the Montego Bay style. The Ostionan site is to the east, has been
named Paradise, and (in accordance with JNHT requirements) has been given
the code name Wes-15a. The Meillacan site is to the west, has been named
Sweetwater, and has the code name Wes-15b. The first is dated to 1180 ±
60 b.p. (Beta-125832) and the second to 490 ± 60 b.p. (Beta-125833). The calibrated
equivalents as published at two standard deviations (Keegan et al. 2003)
are a.d. 710–990 and a.d. 1320–1490 respectively. The sizes of the sites are
about 400 and 220 m long by about 60–100 m wide. Both have their long axes
parallel to the shoreline and are on a low dune ridge about 1 to 1.5 m above
current mean sea level. A swamp and another dune ridge separates them from
the coast. The second dune seems to reflect accretion in the past 500 years,
after the sites were abandoned. The depth of deposit in both cases usually does
not exceed 50 cm. About 240 m of sterile sand divides the two sites, and for
this reason, as well as the divergent dates, Keegan concludes that they are entirely
separate, representing two distinct cultures that existed at two different
times. The differences in ceramic styles are paralleled by differences in paste