c.

c. AD 1000 – 1500 (Theory): The spatial organization of settlements like Anse à la Gourde in Guadeloupe reveals how social hierarchy and community life were physically structured during the Troumassoid period. Research by Hofman and Hoogland demonstrates that the arrangement of houses, burials, and communal spaces followed specific ritual and social rules. The integration of domestic and ceremonial areas suggests that daily life was deeply intertwined with spiritual beliefs and ancestral veneration. By mapping these layouts, archaeologists can reconstruct the “social grammar” of indigenous villages. This approach helps researchers move beyond artifact analysis to understand the lived experience of pre-Columbian islanders.