Editing Lesser Antilles (section)

== History before European arrival ==

=== The First Islanders ===
The earliest [[Archaic period (North America)|Archaic Age]] habitation is evidenced at sites like St. John and Banwari Trace in [[Trinidad]], dating between 7700 and 6100 B.P. Artifacts from this period include stone and [[Bone tool|bone tools]] used for hunting and fishing. A total of 29 Archaic Age sites have been identified in Trinidad and Tobago, associated with the [[Ortoiroid people|Ortoiroid]] series, divided into the Banwarian (5000–2500 BC) and Ortoiran (1500–300 BC) subseries. During the Late Archaic Age, wild plant foods became more significant, with evidence of early plant management, including crops such as [[maize]], [[Sweet potato|sweet potatoes]], achira, and [[Chili pepper|chili peppers]] had been imported and cultivated from the continent.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last1=Keegan |first1=William F. |title=Lesser Antillean Networks |date=2017-02-23 |work=The Caribbean before Columbus |pages=197–238 |url=https://academic.oup.com/book/11404/chapter-abstract/160078399?redirectedFrom=fulltext |access-date=2024-09-20 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190605247.003.0007 |last2=Hofman |first2=Corinne L.|isbn=978-0-19-060524-7 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The archaeological record for the rest of the southern Lesser Antilles is sparse, with sites in [[Tobago]], [[Barbados]], and [[Martinique]] yielding potential Archaic Age artifacts. Factors like local tectonic activity and hurricanes or other storms have likely distorted the archaeological evidence in these regions. Entire islands may now be submerged. Severe erosion, landslides, and volcanic eruptions are fairly common and may contribute to the preservation of archaeological sites.<ref name=":0" />

Three migration scenarios have been proposed. First, Archaic Age communities from [[South America]] reached Trinidad, Tobago, and Barbados. Second, the southern Lesser Antilles (Windward Islands) were bypassed by early settlers, with migration directly to the northern islands. Third, [[Diffusion of innovations|technological diffusion]] occurred without significant population movement from northeastern South America.<ref name=":0" />

[[Absolute dating|Chronometric data]] divide the Archaic Age in the northern Lesser Antilles into three phases: Early Archaic Age (3300–2600 BC), Middle Archaic Age (2600–800 BC), and Late Archaic Age (800 BC–AD 100). Coastal areas were favored for settlement, particularly for their proximity to marine resources and flint quarries. Material culture showing reliance on [[seafood]] (fish and mollusks) and terrestrial animals. [[Antigua]] and [[Saint Martin (island)|St. Martin]] seem to be the most heavily populated during the Archaic Age.<ref name=":0" />

Notably, all known Archaic Age sites are in the northern islands, with no evidence in the Windward Islands south of [[Guadeloupe]]. Trinidad, Tobago, and [[Barbados]] are exceptions, likely colonized separately from South America. Sites in the Lesser Antilles were established on small islands and in coastal seetings{{typo help inline|reason=similar to 'settings'|date=October 2024}}; most habitations were temporary and small, suggesting annual mobility for resource procurement. Despite similarities, each site displayed differences in the consumption of marine species and variety of shell and coral tools. Each site showed diverse adaptations to locally available resources and/or activity patterns.<ref name=":0" />

=== Neolithic Period ===
Archaeological findings, including [[Waco people|Huecoid]] and [[Saladoid]] [[pottery]], provide radiocarbon dates for Early Ceramic Age sites, pointing to an initial sphere of interaction between coastal South America and the northern Lesser Antilles that started around 400–200 BC. The discovery of Saladoid pottery in [[Puerto Rico]] and the northern Lesser Antilles is understood as a result of exploratory activities, cultural exchanges, and gradual migrations from the mainland during the Archaic Age. This process involved the interaction of local communities with established insular societies, creating a web of dynamic social relationships. However, debates and controversies has occurred over conflicting stratigraphic data, radiocarbon dates, and stylistic difference of the potteries.{{Sfn|Keegan|Hofman|2017|p=209}}