Late prehistoric economy and society of the islands off the coast of Venezuela : a contextual interpretation of the non-ceramic evidence
Archaeologists have portrayed north-central Venezuela as the seat of the Valencioid 'chiefdom' (a.d. 900-1500) and assumed socio-cultural continuity between the Valencioid culture and the historic Caraca Indians. These assumptions have neither been constructed nor tested on socially meaningful archaeological contexts. My research formulates and tests the cognitive value of the non-ceramic evidence recovered from socially meaningful archaeological contexts on the islands of the Central Coast of Venezuela as sources for understanding the developmental trajectory of the Valencioid polity(ies). The data come from archaeological surveys and excavations on 55 offshore islands and at 47 sites. Through horizontal excavation, off-site control units and statistical control over sample size it is established that the economic purpose for the occupation of a large Valencioid campsite at Dos Mosquises Island (a.d. 1400-1500) was primarily to exploit Conch Shell (Strombus gigas) for food and raw material. Other local resources, such as fishes, lobsters, turtles and birds, were complementary. The conceptual polarity food/artefact, often applied to the archaeofaunal analyses, is replaced by contextual discrimination between
Antczak, Andrzej
Valencioid culture; Caraca Indians
Late prehistoric economy and society of the islands off the coast of Venezuela : a contextual interpretation of the non-ceramic evidence. Archaeologists have portrayed north-central Venezuela as the seat of the Valencioid 'chiefdom' (a.d. 900-1500) and assumed socio-cultural continuity between the Valencioid culture and the historic Caraca Indians. These assumptions have neither been constructed nor tested on socially meaningful archaeological contexts. My research formulates and tests the cognitive value of the non-ceramic evidence recovered from socially meaningful archaeological contexts on the islands of the Central Coast of Venezuela as sources for understanding the developmental trajectory of the Valencioid polity(ies). The data come from archaeological surveys and excavations on 55 offshore islands and at 47 sites. Through horizontal excavation, off-site control units and statistical control over sample size it is established that the economic purpose for the occupation of a large Valencioid campsite at Dos Mosquises Island (a.d. 1400-1500) was primarily to exploit Conch Shell (Strombus gigas) for food and raw material. Other local resources, such as fishes, lobsters, turtles and birds, were complementary. The conceptual polarity food/artefact, often applied to the archaeofaunal analyses, is replaced by contextual discrimination between
late_prehistoric economy_society islands coast venezuela contextual interpretation non ceramic_evidence archaeologists portray north_central venezuela seat assume socio_cultural continuity culture historic indians assumption neither construct test socially meaningful archaeological_context formulates test cognitive value non ceramic_evidence recover socially meaningful archaeological_context island central coast venezuela source developmental trajectory polity data come archaeological_survey excavation offshore island site horizontal excavation off_site control unit statistical control sample size establish economic purpose occupation large island primarily exploit shell food raw_material local_resource fish turtle bird complementary conceptual polarity food artefact often apply analysis replace contextual discrimination