Thesis
A paleoenvironmental reconstruction from the Island of Grenada, Caribbean environments during the time of human occupation
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2010
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100397
Abstract
Paleoenvironmental analyses are some of the most important contributing studies when attempting to understand prehistoric cultural groups within the archaeological record. Particularly in regions lacking strong archaeological framework, paleoenvironmental reconstruction can be a useful starting place for modeling the beginnings of human occupation and settlement. The use of fossil pollen grains for analysis and environmental interpretations can be particularly beneficial in regions where artifact preservation is poor and the archaeological record is incomplete. The Caribbean is a region which often exhibits poor archaeological preservation, and a significant lack of well developed and completed archaeological research projects. Therefore, the Caribbean region would benefit greatly from paleoenvironmental analysis to help fill in and support what is currently known of the anthropological record. One of the islands with the least amount of archaeological information available is the island of Grenada, located in the southern portion of the Caribbean island chain. This study consists of an in-depth analysis of 44 stratigraphic pollen samples selected from a 493cm core recovered from Meadow Beach, a coastal mangrove swamp on the northeastern section of Grenada. This site is located only a few kilometers north of the documented archaeological site known as Pearls. Sediments that have accumulated over the last 6,000 years provide ample pollen data for analysis, and effectively allow for a thorough and comprehensive paleoenvironmental study of this region. The data collected for this study has been used to indicate periods of environmental change, as well as the initial human occupation of the island and human interaction with the surrounding environment including possibilities for the use of agricultural subsistence methodologies.
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Details
- Title
- A paleoenvironmental reconstruction from the Island of Grenada, Caribbean environments during the time of human occupation
- Creators
- Emily Jane Benz
- Contributors
- John G. Jones (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Anthropology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; Pullman, Wash. :
- Identifiers
- 99900525045801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis