2009: Researcher William Keegan noted that archaeological middens arranged around a central plaza may represent sequential episodes of deposition rather than…

2009: Researcher William Keegan noted that archaeological middens arranged around a central plaza may represent sequential episodes of deposition rather than contemporaneous features. This observation is critical for distinguishing between short-term behaviors and long-term historical processes in pre-Columbian sites. It highlights the necessity of viewing Caribbean archaeology through a lens that accounts for “timespacescapes,” or n-dimensional space and time. By recognizing these sequential patterns, archaeologists can better understand the evolution and duration of indigenous community structures. This perspective helps move the field away from static interpretations toward a more dynamic understanding of how these societies functioned over centuries. (William F. Keegan, The Caribbean Before Columbus (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), 45.)