c.

c. AD 500 – 900: Recent research on the north coast of the Dominican Republic has identified early Saladoid occupations that predate the traditionally accepted timeline for horticultural expansion into that specific region. Preliminary results from excavations by A. Voss indicate that these early settlers established stable communities that maintained stylistic links to the eastern Caribbean while beginning to adapt to the unique ecologies of Hispaniola. This find is significant because it suggests a more rapid and complex dispersal of Early Ceramic Age traditions across the Greater Antilles than the “stepping-stone” migration model previously proposed.