c.

c. AD 500 – 900: A significant change in Caribbean mortuary practices occurred as human remains began to be buried inside houses rather than in central communal plazas. Earlier Saladoid settlements, such as Maisabel and Tibes, typically featured circular or horseshoe-shaped community plans with a central clearing used for interments. The shift toward household burials suggests a major change in the social treatment of the dead and a possible narrowing of ritual focus from the community to the lineage. While burials still occurred in caves and middens, the interior of the home became a primary site for maintaining ancestral connections. This architectural and ritual evolution reflects the shifting social structures of indigenous societies during the mid-to-late Ceramic Age.