A Reconnaissance for Prehistoric Archaeological Sites on Grand Cayman

摘要

Located along two hypothesized migration routes, the Cayman Islands provide the opportunity to evaluate the route by which people first entered the West Indies as well as the overwater mobility of Native West Indians late in prehistory. Although it was expected that precolumbian sites would be identified during an archaeological survey conducted on Grand Cayman in March and April 1993, no sites were found. The results strongly suggest that Grand Cayman was not reached by humans until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century. As a result, the historical ecology of Grand Cayman should differ significantly from other West Indian islands because almost every other island in the region was settled or exploited by Amerindians.