Lithic reduction trajectories at La Hueca and Punta Candelero sites, Puerto Rico

Abstract

One of the most intensely debated issues in Caribbean archaeology in the last two decades has been concentrated on addressing if there was either one or two migrations of ceramic bearers to the West Indies following the Archaic occupation of the islands. This debate has been promoted by the uncovering of two archaeological sites, La Hueca and Punta Candelero, which have produced artifactual remains unlike the ones that were deemed representative of what was thought to be the first and only wave of agro-potters that ventured into the Antilles (Cedrosan Saladoid). This new cultural manifestation was named the "Huecoid" (LH) by its original discoverers, Luis Chanlatte and Ivonne Narganes. Unfortunately, this debate has been mostly concentrated on the study of ceramics, as that has been the dominant unit of analysis in Caribbean archaeology. Therefore, in order to add another dimension to this debate, this study focuses on the analysis of 3,379 lithic artifacts recovered from Punta Candelero and La Hueca sites. This study is both descriptive and analytical since it offers the first detailed description of the utilitarian lithic materials associated with the LH component of these sites and compares, from a technological standpoint, the reduction protocols followed in each component. This is made possible by the fact that both of these sites present LH contexts segregated from Cedrosan Saladoid deposits. Such a comparison offers a high resolution because the variability that may be induced by environmental variables such as differential biotic resources or raw material availability is ruled out, as both groups inhabited the same geographic and ecological space. After comparing the LH materials with those unearthed from Cedrosan Saladoid contexts, I concluded that LH stone workers followed different reduction templates during lithic reduction, thus representing a distinct tradition of stone working. The reach of this evidence will only be ascertained when other lines of evidence are carefully examined and integrated into a holistic perspective on this matter.