c. AD 1100 – 1200
c.
HT-CBCO-000198-199
c. AD 1100 – 1200: Archaeological evidence from the Governors Beach site on Grand Turk reveals a specialized diet consisting primarily of fish heads, specifically grunts (Haemulon sp.) likely caught in basket traps. This subsistence pattern differs significantly from the nearby Coralie site and may reflect a practical strategy to sustain laborers without interfering with the primary site activity of bead making. The presence of fire-cracked rock suggests that the bodies of these fish were likely smoked on a barbacoa for preservation and transport back to larger settlements in Haiti. This high-density fish processing illustrates the importance of the Turks and Caicos as a resource-gathering frontier for Greater Antillean populations.
Source · HT-CBCO-000198-199
Keegan & Hofman, 175-176 / Bates: HT-CBCO-000198-199