c.

c. AD 600 – 1200: Archaeological interpretations of Saladoid burials in central plazas suggest they served as a form of ancestor veneration, where the deceased remained spiritually present during community rituals. This spatial arrangement acted as an axis mundi, connecting the underworld of the ancestors to the living world and the sky world of spirits. However, alternative theories suggest these burials reflect “post-mortem mobility,” where individuals were returned to their natal clan cemeteries after living in other communities. This process would have reinforced the social glue binding disparate island communities through shared kinship and lineage ties. Such practices demonstrate the sophisticated ways early Caribbean societies maintained long-distance social networks across the archipelago.