2017 (Theory): Modern Caribbean archaeology has moved away from creating a “generalized portrait” of pre-Columbian diets based on data from just a few islands.

2017 (Theory): Modern Caribbean archaeology has moved away from creating a “generalized portrait” of pre-Columbian diets based on data from just a few islands. Authors Keegan and Hofman argue that every island possesses a unique set of natural resources that dictated the specific food choices of its inhabitants. For example, green sea turtles were highly valued for their protein, yet their availability depended entirely on the presence of local seagrass beds and nesting beaches. Human predation also caused the availability of certain species to decline over time, meaning that faunal remains at a site reflect both environmental limits and prior human impact. Consequently, archaeologists must consider the specific ecological context of each island before characterizing a group’s stage of cultural development.