c.

c. AD 1200 – 1500: Small, portable masks made of shell or stone have been recovered from various Late Ceramic Age sites across the northern Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles. These masks, which often feature stylized human or spirit faces, served as important ritual objects and markers of shared religious identity throughout the region. Similar artifacts found on different islands provide physical evidence of the high degree of connectivity and the exchange of “icons” between diverse island groups. These objects were likely used in personal or communal ceremonies to reinforce social bonds and spiritual beliefs. The pan-Antillean distribution of these masks underscores the reach of the “Classic Taíno” ideological system beyond the heartland of Hispaniola.