c.
c. AD 400 – 1000: During the Early Ceramic Age, several islands in the Lesser Antilles developed specialized industries, such as the Trants site on Montserrat, which focused on the large-scale production of carnelian beads. The raw carnelian for these ornaments was not local but was obtained through trade networks from Antigua. Similarly, the Hope Estate site on St. Martin specialized in manufacturing stone celts from local greenstone, which were then distributed to other islands. These sites typically contain high quantities of production debris, whereas other contemporary settlements in the region yield only the finished objects. This pattern of craft specialization and inter-island exchange underscores the economic complexity and connectivity of early horticultural societies in the Caribbean.