c. AD 500 – 900: A significant change in Caribbean mortuary practices occurred as human remains began to be buried inside houses. Earlier Saladoid settlements, such as

c. AD 500 – 900: A significant change in Caribbean mortuary practices occurred as human remains began to be buried inside houses. 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.