c.

c. 800 BC – 200 BC: Arawak communities from continental South America began expanding into the Caribbean Sea, initiating a new era of cultural development. This expansion was the terminus of a much larger population movement that originated in the upper Amazon and covered most of riverine lowland South America. These colonists are archaeologically identified as “Saladoid” due to their shared traditions of making and decorating pottery vessels. Their arrival introduced a sedentary economy based primarily on farming to the island chain. This migration set the stage for complex interactions with the indigenous Archaic Age communities already inhabiting the islands.