Archaeological investigations between Cayenne Island and the Maroni River : a cultural sequence of western coastal French Guiana from 5000 BP to present / Martijn Marijn van den Bel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

van den Bel, Martijn Marijn, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Excavations (Archaeology)--French Guiana.

Excavations (Archaeology).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (755 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Leiden, [Netherlands] : Sidestone Press, 2015.

Summary:

"Stratigraphic archaeological research in French Guiana is barely 50 years old and has been conducted primarily in the coastal zone, stretching approximately between 5 and 50 kilometres from the Atlantic coast to the Precambrian Shield. This bias, mainly caused by means of modern infrastructure, has sketched an archaeological record concerning pre-Columbian French Guiana focussing on the Late Ceramic Age (AD 900-1500) of Cayenne Island as well as the western Holocene coastal plains. The present study contains the results of six archaeological investigations, conducted from a compliance archaeological perspective, in order to enhance our knowledge of the afore-mentioned coastal area. It not only presents us with fresh archaeological data on the (Late) Archaic and Early Ceramic Age, a hiatus that is now partially filled up, but also sheds new light on the Late Ceramic Age of this specific region concerning funerary rites, ceramic series and subsistence economy. Martijn van den Bel studied History and Archaeology of Indigenous America at Leiden University and graduated in 1995 with an ethnoarchaeological study on the Palikur potters of French Guiana. Currently he works as a project leader for Inrap in French Guiana. He carries out compliance archaeological research in the French Guiana and the French Lesser Antilles. Next to archaeology, Martijn is interested in the early history of the Guianas and the Lesser Antilles, notably the encounter between Amerindians and Europeans during the 16th and 17th century, resulting in various publications."

Contents:

List of Figures; List of Tables; List of Abbreviations; Preface; The present study and its objectives; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 The research objectives; 1.3 Compliance archaeology in French Guiana; 1.3.1 The fieldwork; 1.3.2 The analysis and reporting; 1.4 The chronological stages and cultural taxonomy; 1.5 A brief outline of this study; The landscapes of the eastern Guianas; 2.1 The geographical setting; 2.2 The geological setting; 2.2.1 The Precambrian Shield; 2.2.2 The White Sand Formation; 2.2.3 The Coastal Plains; 2.2.4 The River Terraces; 2.2.5 The pedogenesis; 2.3 The coastal vegetation

2.4 The archaeological landscapesA short history of archaeology in the Guianas; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Between the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers; 3.3 French Guiana and Suriname; 3.4 The Prehistoric Ages; 3.4.1 The Lithic Age; 3.4.2 The Archaic Age; 3.4.3 The Ceramic Age; 3.4.3.1 The Early Ceramic Age; 3.4.3.2 The Late Ceramic Age; 3.4.4 The Historic Age; 3.5 Final remarks; The Archaic Eva 2 site; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 The excavation methods and techniques; 4.3 The geological context; 4.3.1 Introduction; 4.3.2 The coring project with FUGRO; 4.3.3 The palynological potential with NITG/TNO

4.3.4 The site stratigraphy4.3.5 The (possible) origins of US 1-3; 4.4 The radiocarbon datings; 4.4.1 AMS dating; 4.4.2 Thermoluminescence dating; 4.4.3 The site chronology; 4.5 The spatial organization; 4.5.1 The Archaic layer (US 4); 4.5.2 The features; 4.5.3 The spatial distribution and interpretation of the features ; 4.6 The lithic study; 4.6.1 The raw material; 4.6.2 The lithic tools; 4.6.3 Pit 12; 4.6.4 The spatial distribution; 4.7 The starch grain analysis; 4.8 The ceramic study; 4.9 The site synthesis; The Chemin Saint-Louis site; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 The geological context

5.2.1 The geomorphology5.2.2 Terra preta in the Guianas? ; 5.2.3 The micromorphology; 5.2.4 The multi-element analyses; 5.3 The radiocarbon datings; 5.4 The features ; 5.4.1 The feature description; 5.4.2 The phytolith analysis; 5.4.3 The feature distribution; 5.5 The ceramic analysis; 5.5.1 Introduction; 5.5.2 The constituent elements; 5.5.3 The description of the complete archaeological vessel shapes; 5.5.4 The decoration modes; 5.5.5 The Phase 1 ceramics; 5.5.6 The Phase 2 ceramics; 5.5.7 The Phase 3 ceramics; 5.5.7.1 La Pointe de Balaté site; 5.5.7.2 The Phase 3 analysis

5.6 The lithic study5.6.1 Introduction; 5.6.2 The raw material; 5.6.3 The artefacts; 5.6.4 The spatial distribution; 5.6.5 Conclusions; 5.7 The starch grain analysis; 5.7.1 The description of the samples; 5.7.2 The results; 5.7.3 Final remarks; 5.8 The site synthesis; The Crique Sparouine site; 6.1 Introduction; 6.1.1 The geological setting; 6.1.2 The excavation methods; 6.1.3 The radiocarbon datings; 6.2 The features; 6.2.1 The pits; 6.2.2 The post holes; 6.2.3 The spatial distribution of the features; 6.3. The lithic study; 6.3.1 The flaked stone tools; 6.3.2 The ground stone tools

6.3.3 The other tools

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed February 22, 2016).

ISBN:

90-8890-331-X