c.

c. AD 1000 – 1500 (Theory): The “Rousean Taxonomy” refers to the chronological and stylistic framework developed by archaeologist Irving Rouse, which dominated Caribbean archaeology for over half a century. Rouse’s system organized the pre-contact history of the islands into a series of “Ages” and “Series” based primarily on ceramic styles. While Keegan and Hofman acknowledge the foundational importance of this taxonomy, they advocate for moving beyond these rigid categories to focus on “vibrant” social processes and networks. They argue that traditional taxonomy often masks the fluid cultural interactions and internal social reconfigurations that characterize the diverse histories of individual island communities.