AM ERI CA N AN TIQUITY

VOL. XXI OCTOBER,1955 No. 2

THE ARCHAIC TRADITION IN

RICARDOALEGRiA, H. B. NICHOLSON, AND GORDON R. WILLEY

BOTH HISTORICAL and archaeological gladiolitos, and pieces of red ocher are diagnos- sources on the West Indies provide evidence tic features of the preceramic assemblage on that these islands were once occupied by this island. Harrington also found burials in peoples with a culture markedly different from cave floors; the skulls were undeformed and that of the agricultural,pottery-making Arawak. the bones often stained with red ocher. The The archaeological remains of this Archaic antiquity of these Cuban Archaic finds is mode of life are found on several of the islands demonstrated by their association with the in contexts which indicate their separateness bones of Megalocnus, an extinct ground sloth. from the pottery horizons and imply their The Archaic of Cuba has been divided into greater antiquity. The ethnohistorical sources 2 distinct phases, perhaps chronologically se- also attest to the survival of this Archaic tradi- quent, called by Rouse (1951a: 253) Guayabo tion into early historic times (Martyr 1912 Vol. Blanco and Cayo Redondo. The former con- 1: 100, 380; Las Casas 1867: 35; 1951 Vol. 2: tains no evidence of stone grinding and is 240; Velasquez 1869: 424-5; Oviedo 1852 Vol. characterized by what Rouse refers to as the 1: 90). "battering stone" and deep vessels made of the The characteristics of this West Indian conch. Cayo Redondo, on the other hand, Archaic tradition, as revealed by archaeology lacks the deep conch shell vessels, and has and supplemented by the ethnohistoric ac- a ground-stone inventory consisting of various counts, are: absence of agriculture and pottery; grinding implements, stone balls, and the seminomadic living in small bands; frequent curious peg-shaped stones, the gladiolitos. use of caves for shelter and burial; crude arti- On the island of Hispaniola the existence of facts made of conch shells, flint, and other Archaic cultures in prehistoric times has been classes of stone; use of hematite or red ocher; demonstrated by the work of Gabb (1881), and the absence of cranial deformation as Krieger (1929), and Rouse (1939; 1941). The practiced by the agricultural peoples of the early historical accounts also mention the Antilles. existence of primitive pre-agricultural groups Cultural tradition is here defined, following who lived in the Peninsula of Guacayarima Phillips and Willey (1953), as "a major large- up to the time of the conquest, and who may scale space-time-cultural continuity, defined have been marginal surviving remnants of the with reference to persistent configurations in old tradition (Martyr 1912 Vol. 1: 380; Oviedo single technologies or total (archaeological) 1852 Vol. 1: 90). culture, occupying a relatively long interval of Rouse subdivides the Archaic of Haiti into time and a quantitatively variable but environ- 3 phases: Couri Cabaret mentally significant space." (northern); (central); and Bay of Conch In Cuba the Archaic tradition is represented (southern) (Rouse 1951a: by the preceramic finds of Harrington (1921), 253). The chief diagnostic of Couri is an as- labeled by him with the controversial ethnic semblage of crude stone tools "made by finely term, "Ciboney," and by those of Rouse (1942: rechipping the edges of large lamellar flakes" 131), Osgood (1942), Ortiz (1943), Coscul- (p. 253). Ground stone is also well represented luela (1922), and others. Rock-shelter and in this phase and includes single- and double- coastal shell-midden sites are typical of the bitted axes, balls, dishes, beads, gladiolitos, Cuban Archaic. Shell gouges. shell celts, vessels mortars and pestles, and milling and polishing and dishes made of conch shells, shell or stone stones. The Bay of Conch inventory is similar pendants of simple design, pitted hammer- to Couri, with the addition of pointed stone stones, hammer-grinders, stone balls, slightly tools and single-bitted eared stone axes. Caba- retouched flint flakes. ne,-s-hnned st-nne nr ret is much the simplest of the 3 phases. Only

113 114 AMERICANANTIQUITY [ XXI, 2, 1955 chipped stone work is found, comparable to scribed. No Archaic remains have as yet been Cuba rather than Couri or Bay of Conch. reported from the Lesser Antilles, but much In the Dominican Republic both Gabb and of this area is an archaeological terra incognita. Krieger dug into cave stratifications in the It is not until Trinidad (Rouse 1953) and vicinity of Samana Bay in which upper level -Venezuela (Rouse 1951b) are reached that evi- deposits held pottery while the lower strata dence occurs of comparable nonceramic phases. contained only implements of shell, bone, and The putative preceramic or Archaic mani- stone. Krieger (1929: 68) holds that these arti- festation in Puerto Rico, which Rouse has facts show great similarity to those found by labeled the Coroso, is the subject of this paper. Harrington in his preceramic sites in Cuba. Recent excavations have brought to light new For Puerto Rico there are no ethnohistorical evidence which proves its existence. We also references to nonagricultural groups similar to wish to make some comparisons which have those mentioned by the chroniclers in Cuba not been made before. and Hispaniola; however, their prehistoric ex- istence has been postulated by Rouse (1952: TH E LOIZACAVE EXCAVATIONS 355). During his survey of Puerto Rico and One of the most obvious desiderata con- Vieques, Rouse located several sites with small nected with the problem of a possible pre- shell heaps which appeared to contain no pot- ceramic occupation of Puerto Rico was the tery. Excavation at 5 of these sites verified this locating of an actual occupation site over and absence of pottery, but the material recovered above the scanty shellheaps investigated by was so meager and of such dubious artifactual Rouse. In 1948, Ricardo Alegria, as part of the character that Rouse hesitated to claim with program of the newly organized Centro de certainty that a genuine preceramic occupation Investigaciones Arqueologicas of the University of these islands had been demonstrated. Al- of Puerto Rico, initiated excavations at a rich though he felt that it was unlikely that these ceramic site near Loiza Aldea, close to the nonceramic shell heaps were "the by-product northeast coast. A few hundred yards south- of a later Indian or Spanish occupation" (Rouse west of this site is a large limestone cave, 1952: 382), he was convinced that further known locally as Cueva Maria de la Cruz. excavations were necessary before the problem Portions of its rocky floor had long been utilized could be resolved. All the sites were located as a stone quarry, but near the western entrance close to the shore in regions where shellfish was a fairly extensive area of hard-packed were, or had been, abundant. In all cases earth mixed with detritus fallen from the ceil- "there is a bay in the immediate vicinity, ing which appeared to be relatively undis- backed by a mud flat or a swamp which could turbed. Supplementary to the excavation of have been used as a base for hunting and fish- the ceramic site, 2 test pits, totaling 5 sq. m. ing" (p. 335). In these respects the sites re- in area, were dug into a portion of this floor semble the nonceramic shell heaps of Cuba and near the western wall of the cave. The stone artifacts de- Hispaniola. possible The pits were dug by 1-foot levels. The 1st non- scribed by Rouse from these Puerto Rican level yielded a number of Igneri phase sherds, "several bat- ceramic sites include: pebbles including 1 large rim fragment of the diagnostic tered on their another with several ends, grind- Cuevas white-on-red ware, 7 stone artifacts number of of ing facets, a sharp-edged pieces quite unlike those found in the nearby ceramic or other and several flat stone slabs" flint stone, site (all artifacts will be described in the next (p. 335). section), large numbers of shells, animal and To no evidence of the Archaic has date, fish bones, nondescript fragments of rock, and has a appeared in Jamaica. Krieger reported a few scattered human bones. The 2nd level possible nonceramic assemblage from the Baha- yielded only 5 sherds, plus 5 artifacts of stone mas (Krieger 1937: 98), but it has not been and an even thicker of shells and fully described or illustrated. In the Virgin deposit 3rd and levels were Islands Hatt (1924) reported nonceramic refuse animal bones. The 4th deposits in shell heaps at Krum Bay, St. completely pottery-free. The heavy concentra- Thomas. Hammerstone grinders, red ocher, tion of animal bones (many of them fossilized) and a "peculiar long and narrow type of stone and shells continued. Most importantly, many axe" are listed as associated artifacts, but the of the animal bones showed evidence of burn- full assemblage has never been thoroughly de- ing, and thick deposits of gray ash were en- ALEGRiA AND OTHERS1 THE ARCHAIC TRADITION IN PUERTO RICO 115

FIG.37. Tools from the preceramic or Archaic levels of the Loiza Cav-e, Puerto Rico. a, circular pitted ham merstone; b, iectangulate pitted hammerstone with one edge (right side) smoothed by grinding; c, scraper made from conch shell; d, pebble grinder showing grinding surface at left; e, pebble chopper showing chopping edge at left. The pebble grinder and chopper ate the most distinctive types of this Loiza assemblage. (Dimensions: a, 8.5 by 4 cm.; b, 11 by 8 by 3.5 cm.; c, 10 by 6.5 cm.; d, 12.5 by 6 by 4 cm.; e, 10 by 7.5 by 4.5 cm.) 116 AMERICAN ANTIOUITY I xxi. 2. 1955 countered throughout the lowest level. Four These human remains are presently being stone artifacts were recovered from the 3rd studied and will not further be described in level, 2 possible examples from the 4th. In this preliminary report, other than to mention addition, at the bottom of this last level in the that the skulls appear to be undeformed. All very top of the sterile sand deposit which in all, the 1954 excavations added considerable began at a depth of approximately 48 inches, evidence that at least the front portion of the were encountered a number of scattered human cave was intensively occupied for a consider- bones. In spite of the paucity of unmistakable able period by a preceramic group. for occupation of the artifacts, the evidence The Artifacts. In this section all possible group prior to the advent cave by a nonceramic artifacts found in both excavations, including of the Igneri-phase people in the area seemed those from the upper sherd-bearing levels, will almost conclusive. be described together. It seems likely that those In July, 1954, a joint Peabody Museum of found in association with pottery actually be- -University of Puerto Rico their expedition, under the leadership of Alegria and long to the pure preceramic deposit and H. B. Nicholson, resumed work both at the presence in these upper levels is the result of ceramic site and the cave. The following de- disturbance. Typologically the majority are scription of the work of this party in the Loiza nearly identical to types found in the lower Cave should be regarded as a preliminary re- levels, and the small number of Igneri-phase port. sherds found near the surface does not indicate A number of test pits, totaling 56 sq. m., a genuine occupation of the cave by a pottery- were dug into various portions of the hard- making group. The scattered human bones packed floor. In an attempt to refine the found in the 1st level during the 1948 excava- stratigraphy, these pits were dug in 10-cm. tions suggest that the Igneri people may have levels. The material recovered added sub- occasionally used the cave for burial purposes; stantial corroboration to the view that the cave it is even more probable that this striking grotto contained a genuine preceramic occupation so near the ceramic site was the scene of cere- deposit. Thick concentrations of food remains, monial activities. mostly animal and fish bones, crab jaws, and Stone artifacts will be described first. The shells, together with stratified layers of pure most common type (11 specimens), and cer- ash, were encountered in nearly every trench, tainly the most distinctive, is what we have particularly in the lower levels. All pits ended labeled the "pebble grinder." Characteristically in clean sterile sand, whose light color con- it is simply a large, waterworn, irregular, poly- trasted markedly with the dark occupation de- hedral pebble of hard fine-grained stone with posit above it. distinct edges, one or more of which has been In some of the pits no sherds were en- worn flat by rubbing or grinding (Fig. 37 d). countered at any level; in others, the topmost The implements range from about 12 by 6 by 4 4 or 5 levels contained scatterings of Igneri- cm. to 6 by 5 by 3 cm. The grinding facets phase pottery fragments, always decreasing are usually long and very narrow, but in some sharply in numbers with increasing depth. cases are short and fairly broad. No other evi- Actual artifacts of stone or shell were rare, dence of human workmanship is present; they but one type, described in detail below, was apparently were natural pebbles chosen for quite distinctive. Two burials in poor condi- their shape. These pebble grinders were found tion, plus fragments of a human skull, were in nearly all levels, but more commonly in the found, all at the top of the sterile sand sub- upper ones. The precise function of this unique deposit. One of the burials was secondary; the artifact type is uncertain. One specimen bore other, found less than a meter away, was pri- a grinding facet apparently stained with some mary, extended, and face up. This last was reddish substance. Although red ocher has the deepest evidence of human occupation been reported from other Greater Antillean found in the cave; 20 cm. of sterile sand lay preceramic sites, none has so far been reported between the base of the occupation deposit and from any possibly preceramic deposit in Puerto the top of the skull, which was encountered Rico. The narrowness of the average grinding at a depth of 150 cm. from the cave floor. facet may indicate a somewhat specialized use. ALEGRiA AND OTHERS] THE ARCHAIC TRADITION IN PUERTO RICO 117

A possible subtype consists of the same poly, COMPARISONS hedral pebble form with one entire face, rather The West Indies and Venezuela. In Puerto than an edge, so smooth that it was apparently Rico itself, the Loiza Cave pebble grinders the result of rubbing or grinding. It is doubtful might be compared with the pebble "with whether water action or other natural cause several grinding facets," which Rouse mentions could have produced such a regular, perfectly in his summary description of Coroso culture flat surface. (Rouse 1952: 335). Later in his description The second most distinctive stone artifact is of the artifacts recovered from a shell heap the hammerstone (3 certain and 2 probable at Jobos, he mentions "two possible grinders specimens; Fig. 37 a, b). Two are irregular of stone" (p. 539); whether his pebble with in shape, 1 more or less rectangular, 1 tear- the grinding facets is one of these is not clear. drop, and 1 discoidal and pitted. Only the Unfortunately, none of these objects are il- rectangular and the discoidal examples show lustrated. evidence of artificial shaping; all display use The Loiza Cave hammerstones might also nicks on the striking surface. be compared with the "pebbles battered on The remainder of the stone artifacts consist their ends," which Rouse found in some of his of what we have called "pebble choppers" and nonceramic shellheaps (Rouse 1952: 335, P1. sharp edged flakes (3 of the former; 6 of the 8 G). Their simplicity probably rules out any latter). The pebble choppers are irregular peb- detailed typological comparison. Rouse also illustrates bles with a rough, broken striking edge. One (1952, P1. 8 D) a "Strombus shell plate," which, as previously indicated, is almost of the largest and most complete measures 10 identical in form to the 2 specimens found in by 7.5 by 4.5 cm. (Fig. 37 e). The flakes have the Loiza Cave; he further mentions the finding use sharp cutting edges with nicks; they may of other shell plates in his Puerto Rican non- have been employed for both cutting and ceramic sites. These objects are also common scraping. Evidence of secondary retouching, or in some of the ceramic sites. even indubitable primary flaking, was not pres- The Loiza Cave flakes also appear to be very ent on any of these flakes. similar to Rouse's "sharp-edged pieces of flint One shell artifact was unmistakable, a small or other stone" (Rouse 1952: 355), but his one scraper manufactured from a "Cobos" shell, illustration (Pl. 8 A) is not adequate for real found in the pottery-free deposit above the 2 comparison. In sum, a possible tie between the burials (Fig. 37 c). The flattish section of the "Coroso Culture" of Rouse in Puerto Rico and outer whorl of a Strombus shell was found Vieques and the preceramic phase represented at a deeper level in the same pit (80-90 cm.), by the Loiza Cave material appears to rest more which is almost identical in shape to a smaller on shared negative features, particularly the one found in the topmost level of one of the absence of pottery, than on clear typological 1948 pits, as well as with examples illustrated similarities between artifacts that are common by Rouse and Osgood from various nonceramic to both. deposits in Cuba, Haiti, and others in Puerto Turning now to the best described preceramic Rico. While the artifactual character of these phase in the West Indies, that of Cuba, whose "shell plates," as these 2 archaeologists call chief diagnostic features were summarized in the introduction, we them, has not been conclusively demonstrated, find that among stone arti- facts only the Loiza Cave the wide distribution of this distinctive form hammerstones, par- ticularly the discoidal pitted specimen, can be makes a good prima facie case. (For a dis- fairly compared with Cuban types. This dis- cussion of the possible function and West coidal pitted type is in fact one of the best Indian distribution of these objects, see Osgood diagnostics of the Cuban preceramic; its pres- 1942: 35, 42.) ence in the Loiza Cave assemblage may be of Two objects of what appear to be cut bone considerable significance. The Loiza Cave peb- wind up this somewhat meager artifact list. ble grinder, on the other hand, has no real One, a small stub, was associated with the parallel in Cuba. The Guayabo Blanco phase secondary burial; the other, a manatee rib with is distinguished by a lack of either grinders a possible pared end, was found on a higher or ground-stone objects, although Harrington level in the same pit. (1921 Vol. 2: 340) did mention the discovery 118 AMERICAN ANTIQUITY [ XXI, 2,1955 of "thin slender grinding or whetstones" from bing stone," but these slablike forms also bear one site (not illustrated). In the Cayo Redondo little resemblance to the pebble grinder (Rouse phase what Rouse and Osgood call "hammer- 1941: 42, P1. 1, 16). As in the Cuban pre- grinders" are common, most of which possess ceramic phases, the number of Couri-phase grinding facets, but from the published illustra- diagnostics lacking in the Loiza Cave artifact tions they do not bear much resemblance to list is much more striking than any casual simi- the pebble grinder (Osgood 1942, Pls. 4, 5; larities, for example: the large lamellar flakes Rouse 1941, P1. 2). Osgood also describes a with secondary retouching, stone dishes, single- type which he calls "polishing stone," which and double-bitted axes, stone balls, beads, from his description and one illustration does gladiolitos, mortars and pestles, and carved seem to bear a generalized resemblance to the shell pendants. The culture contents of the Loiza Cave pebble grinder subtype previously other 2 Haitian preceramic phases have not mentioned which has one large face completely been fully described, but appear to contain little smooth (Osgood 1942: 30-1, Pl. 4 C). that can be compared with the Loiza Cave ma- Harrington also lists as a diagnostic of the terial on a specific level. Taino (ceramic) phase of Cuba what he calls The preceramic of the Dominican Republic the "rubbing stone for celt-making" (Harring- has only been described in a preliminary way, ton 1921 Vol. 2: 299, Fig. 82). Apart from its making comparisons especially difficult. From inclusion in the post-Ciboney ceramic phase, its geographical position it might be expected it bears little typological resemblance to the to bear a particularly close relationship to that Loiza Cave pebble grinder and was probably of Puerto Rico. At the base of thepreceramic employed for a different purpose. The only deposit in Railroad Cave in the Samana Penin- other Cuban preceramic artifacts resembling sula Krieger found a multifaceted grinding those from the Loiza Cave are the previously stone similar to those found by Harrington in mentioned shell plates, but the significance of Cuba (not illustrated). From Krieger'sdescrip- these distinctive but apparently unworked ob- tion (1929: 63) and from the fact that he com- jects found over a large area requires further pares it so definitely with the Cuban types, analysis (compare Osgood 1942, P1. 3 H, T; it is probably quite distinct from the Loiza Cave Rouse 1942, P1. 2 P). pebble grinder. A number of hammerstones Far more striking than the vague similarities were also found in possibly preceramic deposits between the Loiza Cave artifacts and those in caves by Krieger, some of which he il- from Cuban preceramic sites, are the absences lustrates (1929, Pls. 1, 2), but it is worth in the artifact inventory of the former site of a stressing again that such generalized artifacts number of types which are important diagnos- offer little opportunity for establishing cultural tics of those of the latter, such as: red ocher, connections on the basis of typological simi- mortars and pestles, shell gouges, shell cups, larities. stone balls, retouched stone flakes, and gladio- The putative preceramic of the Virgin Islands litos. If further research corroborates these (Hatt 1924) has also never been adequately absences in the Puerto Rican preceramic, it will described. Two of the artifacts mentioned, be clear that as between this island and Cuba rectangular stone adzes and clam shell scrapers, the archaeological culture content on this early are absent from the Loiza Cave finds, as is red level was quite distinct. ocher, also reported from the Krum Bay de- Moving to Haiti, we find that hammer- posit. Only Hatt's "hammerstone grinder" grinders again are common in the best-known might offer some basis for comparison, but this preceramic phase of that country, Couri. They type is neither described at greater length nor are very similar to those of Cuba and often illustrated. bear distinct grinding facets, but to judge from The nonceramic assemblage of Trinidad has the published illustrations (Rouse 1941, Pls. 1, only been described in a very preliminary 4, 5), they bear little typological similarity to fashion by Rouse (1953: 94-5); fruitful com- the Loiza Cave pebble grinders. They especially parison with the Loiza Cave material is im- differ in that the majority seem to have been possible until the final report, in process of artificially shaped to a fairly regular form, per- preparation, appears. Rouse's preliminary re- haps more through use than design. Rouse port on the preceramic phase at Manicuare in describes another type which he labels "rub- northeastern Venezuela is somewhat more com- ALEGRIA AND OTHERS ] THE ARCHAIC TRADITION IN PUERTO RICO 119 plete (Rouse 1951b). Manicuare is important Fig. 9). The Monagrillo cultural phase is, because to date it is the only indubitable pre- quite probably, the earliest evidence of human ceramic assemblage discovered in the southern occupation yet found in Panama. It is known Circum-Caribbean area. Its artifact inventory to precede the later polychrome pottery horizon appears to bear some typological resemblance in the same region, including such cultures as to the Guayabo Blanco phase of the Cuban the Cocle. Monagrillo differs from these later preceramic. With the possible exception of the archaeological cultures in that it is character- ubiquitous hammerstone, there seems to be ized by extremely simple plain and incised pot- nothing in the Manicuare materials which tery and the crude pebble tools. Further, there compares closely with the Loiza Cave as- is a high probability that the Monagrillo culture semblage. Final judgment must await the pub- was nonagricultural or marginal agricultural as lished report, but apparently nothing like the opposed to the intensive farming cultures of pebble grinder has been found here or else- Cocle or Veraguas. In sum, the Monagrillo where in Venezuela. complex represents a relatively early culture To briefly sum up this comparative survey, of a level of development similar to that of it can be said that on the basis of available the cultures of the West Indian Archaic tradi- evidence the most distinctive Loiza Cave arti- tion. fact, the pebble grinder, seemingly has no close The Monagrillo pebble grinders, like those parallels in any comparable West Indian or from Loiza, are waterworn polyhedral boulders Venezuelan preceramic phase discovered and with one edge ground smooth by use. The adequately described up to the present time. nature of the grinding work done with these Only the rather nondescript stone flakes, ham- implements, as is the case with the Loiza speci- merstones, and shell "plates" have some typo- mens, is unknown. Several large, crude metates logical counterparts in other areas, mostly in or mortars were found at one of the Monagrillo Cuba and Haiti. The absences in the Loiza sites, and the pebble grinders may, possibly, Cave material of artifacts which are leading have been used in conjunction with these. It is, diagnostics of preceramic phases of other re- however, curious as to why a small edge sur- gions is particularly striking. If future work face of the stones was utilized rather than confirms these absences, as well as the unique- one of the larger flat surfaces. The Monagrillo ness of the pebble grinder, it will strengthen pebble grinders range in size from 17 by 10 by 7 Rouse's view of this West Indian preceramic cm. to 11 by 7 by 5 cm. This size range over- level (1951a: 254-5): "While the various laps with the dimensions of the Loiza grinders islands are linked together by negative traits, which are, on the average, slightly smaller such as the absence of pottery, of agricultural than their Monagrillo counterparts. implements, and of ceremonial structures, each The Monagrillo pebble choppers are also differs in its more common positive traits and made from waterworn polyhedral boulders. thereby constitutes a separate cultural unit." This type, like the grinder, has one edge shaped Panama. The similarity of the Loiza Cave from use. In this case the use has been pound- pebble grinders and pebble choppers to arti- ing or chopping rather than grinding or rubbing, facts of the Monagrillo culture of Panama is and, in consequence, the edge of the pebble has surprising and noteworthy. Although these been transformed into a rough, bifacially chip- grinders and choppers are crude and simple tool ped cutting surface. Monagrillo choppers types they are not, apparently, widespread in ranged in size from 14 by 13 by 6 cm. to 11 by the Americas. In searching for similarities to 9 by 6 cm. The larger Loiza specimens fall the Monagrillo implements (Willey and Mc- within this range. Gimsey 1954) we were unable to locate any In addition to the choppers and grinders, close parallels. The Puerto Rican Archaic oc- the Monagrillo complex resembles the Loiza currence of these artifact types is, therefore, to in the possession of rectangulate hammering the best of our knowledge, the only other re- or grinding stones. These differ from the more ported instance outside of Panama. specialized choppers and grinders in that they The Monagrillo pebble grinders and choppers show evidence of pounding, pecking, and grind- were found in shellmound sites on an old ing on all edges. This kind of stone tool is, abandoned shore line of Parita Bay in western of course, ubiquitous in its American distribu- Panama (Willey and McGimsey 1952: 178, tion. 120 AMERICANANTIQUITY [ XXI,2, 1955

CONCLUSIONS festation, probably preagricultural. It differs There is ample evidence, both archaeological from Loiza, and the West Indian Archaic tradi- and historical, that the West Indies were first tion at large, in that it possesses a simple occupied by peoples who followed a non- pottery. The location of the Monagrillo sites agricultural way of life. This mode of life has and the evidence for a marine economy are, been referred to as the West Indian Archaic however, consistent with most of the West cultural tradition. Archaeological sites of this Indian preceramic sites. If the pebble grind- tradition are well represented in Cuba and ing and chopping tools were widely distributed Hispaniola, and they have been reported from throughout the West Indies and northern the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, South America on an early horizon, a reason- and Trinidad. able case for the diffusion of an Archaic tradi- The present paper has described excavations tion and stone tool industry that linked Panama in a Puerto Rican cave site which offers strati- with the rest of the Caribbean could be postu- graphic proof of a preceramic, presumably non- lated. Lacking such a distribution we can only agricultural, complex underlying the pottery- remark upon the curious Loiza occurrences of bearing strata of the Igneri phase. The Igneri pebble grinders typical of Panamanian Mona- phase has been attributed to early agricultural grillo. An independent development of this Arawakans. tool type in both Panama and Puerto Rico is The preceramic strata in the Loiza Cave not ruled out, yet the artifact is just sufficiently yielded abundant crab claws, shells, and animal distinctive to give cause for wonder. Is it pos- and fish bones as well as ash. A primary ex- sible that similar pebble grinders and choppers tended and secondary burial, neither accom- have been overlooked in the Caribbean area7 panied by grave goods, were found near the We call attention to this type of implement, base of the deposits. The artifacts of the pre- with all the above-mentioned possibilities in ceramic strata include pebble grinders, pebble mind. choppers, hammerstones, flint flakes with use nicking, a shell scraping tool, a shell fragment, COSCULLUELA, J. A. and 2 scraps of bone, possibly cut. 1922 La Prehistoria de Cuba. Imprenta "El Siglo The Archaic culture of the Loiza Cave shows XX," Havana. some similarities to the Coroso culture which GABB, W. M. Rouse has defined tentatively from several sites 1881 On the Topography and Geology of Santo in Puerto Rico. The plates made of conch Domingo. Transactions of the American Philo- shells, the hammerstones, and the flint flakes sophical Society, n.s., Vol. 15, pp. 49-259. are shared by Loiza and the Coroso complex. Philadelphia.

On the other hand, the pebble grinders and HARRINGTON, M. R. seem to be choppers of the Loiza type missing 1921 Cuba before Columbus. Museum of the from Coroso. Similarly, in Cuba and His- American Indian, Heye Foundation, Indian paniola the preceramic cultures differ from Notes and Monographs, Part 1, Vols. 1-2. New Loiza in that the peculiar pebble tools are York. absent. Other grinding stones obtain, but these are of different form. As yet there is not suf- HATT, GUDMUND ficient information from the Virgin Islands, 1924 Archaeology of the Virgin Islands. In Pro- of the International Con- Trinidad, and Venezuela to make adequate ceedings Twenty-first gress of Americanists [The Hague, 1924], First comparisons. Part, pp. 29-42. The Hague. The most striking parallels to the Loiza arti- facts are seen in the pebble grinders and chop- KRIEGER, H. W. pers of the Monagrillo culture of Panama. The 1929 Archeological and Historical Investigations in Monagrillo implements are identical with those Samana, Dominican Republic. United States of the Loiza assemblage. The implications of National Museum, Bulletin 147. Washington. this similarity are by no means clear. The 1937 The Bahama Islands and Their Prehistoric Monagrillo culture of the Parita Bay region Population. , Exploration of western Panama is a relatively early mani- and Field Work in 1936, pp. 93-8. Washington. ALEGRIA AND OTHERS ] THE ARCHAIC TRADITION IN PUERTO RICO 121

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PHILLIPS, PHILIP AND G. R. WILLEY WILLEY,G. R. AND C. R. McGIMSEY 1953 Method and Theory in American Archeology: 1952 Archaeology in Western Panama. Archae- an Operational Basis for Culture-Historical Inte- ology, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 173-81. Brattleboro. gration. American Anthropologist, Vol. 55, No. 5, pp. 615-33. Menasha. 1954 The Monagrillo Culture of Panama. Papers of the Peabody Museum, Harvard University, Vol. ROUSE, IRVING 49, No. 2. Cambridge. 1939 Prehistory in Haiti, a Study in Method. Yale University Publications in Anthropology, No. UNIVERSITYOF PUERTORico 21. New Haven. Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico 1941 Culture of the Ft. Liberte Region, Haiti. HARVARDUNIVERSITY Yale University Publications in Anthropology, Cambridge, Mass. No. 24. New Haven. October, 1954