PALEOECOLOGY OF THE MUDDY BAY (PH-14) SITE, ANTIGUA: ESQUEMA CULTURAL PRELIMINARY REPORT

ANTILLANO Reg MURPHY & Paul F. Healy (6000 AC - 1492 DC) University Peterborough, Ontario CANADA

Résumé Les recherches réalisées en 1994 sur le site de Muddy Bay ont révélé une abondance de coquillages sur la côte. Le tamisage fin des dépôts des deux fouilles a fourni une collection substantielle de PERIODO ARCAICO faune bien préservée et de restes de mollusques. Cet inventaire fait état des résultats préliminaires de l’analyse zooarchéologique. Ceux-ci portent sur l’existence de ressources variées au niveau de la pêche, de la chasse et de la récolte aux environs de 1000-1299 AD...Une étroite association est sup- PRECERAMICOS posée entre les poissons et les mollusques, les mammifères, les oiseaux et des reptiles sont égale- (600 AC (?) ment présents (comprenant certaines espèces encore jamais découvertes sur l’île). Les points de localisation connus et les habitats préférés pour beaucoup d’espèces identifiées rendent possible la reconstruction des premières écozones exploitées par les habitants de l’âge préhistorique de Muddy Bay. ARCAICOS (6000 AC) Abstract Excavations in 1994 at the Muddy Bay (PH-14) site revealed an extensive coastal shell midden. Fine mesh screening of midden deposits from two excavation units has provided a substantial collection of well preser- ved faunal and molluscan ecofacts. This report outlines preliminary results of the zooarchaeological analysis. ACERAMICOS These indicate a diverse fishing, hunting and gathering subsistence regime about 1000-1200 A.D. A strong (500 AC-460 DC) reliance on fish and shellfish is suggested, though various Caribbean mammals, birds, and reptiles are also present (including some no longer found on the island) . Given known and preferred habitats for many of the identified species it is possible to reconstruct the primary ecozones exploited by the prehistoric inhabi- tants of Muddy Bay.

PERIODO Introduction: AGROALFARERO Archaeological investigations were conducted in 1994, at the post-Saladoid settlement of Muddy Bay (PH-14) on Nonsuch Bay, Antigua (Figure 1). This site, marked by surface refuse from a substantial (19,500 m2) shell midden, proved to have exceptional preservation of organic material (bone and shell), due partly to the nearly xerophytic environment of the east coast of Antigua, and AGROALFAREROS I y II to the alkaline soil pH caused by the shell concentration. Detailed analysis of the ceramic and lithic (500 AC - (?) assemblages, along with a suite of radiocarbon determinations, date the midden use between ca. 1000-1400 AD, most likely to the early part of the thirteenth century (Healy and Murphy 1995; Murphy 1995). The extensive zooarchaeological remains recovered in 1994 at Muddy Bay are the focus of this progress report. AGROALFAREROS III (Tainos inicial - 460 DC) Two test units were excavated in 1994, in different areas of the midden. The first, Excavation 1, was a 2 meter square, and the second, Excavation 2, a one meter square; both units were dug to FORMATIVO ANTILLANO bedrock by trowel and brush. Every level of both units yielded sizable amounts of faunal material that was recovered by dry screening of all excavated deposits through fine (2 mm) mesh. Due to (460 - 1492 DC) the large number of specimens, all shells recovered were identified, and counted, in the field, whe- AGROALFAREROS IV reas vertebrate and crustacean remains (5.89 kg) were taken to Trent University (Canada) for pro- (Tainos tardio) cessing and detailed study. In this preliminary report only the studied faunal sample (vertebrates and crustaceans) from Excavation 2 at PH-14 is discussed. 274 (1025- 1492 DC) 275 The faunal analysis of remains from PH-14 was a multiphased process. The first step was to determine what species were being utilized by site inhabitants during this late period, and then to identify the corresponding natural habitats of these species, enabling a reconstruction of the eco- Table 1. Non-Molluscan Remains from the Muddy Bay (PH-14) Site, Antigua.1 zones used by PH-14 settlers. A consideration of likely procurement activities and technologies has _ also been made (Murphy 1995:120-129). A second, future, step in the faunal analysis will be to determine the Minimum Number of TAXON Common Name Individuals (MNI), and their approximate meat weights, in order to establish which species were most important to the inhabitants of PH-14. This process of estimating biomass has only Terrestrial Habitat just recently begun and will be reported at a future date. Oryzomys sp. Rice rat Preliminary Results: Dasyprocta aguti Agouti Dasyprocta leporina Agouti Initial results of the faunal analysis indicate that the Muddy Bay (PH-14) settlers were exploi- Iguana delicatissima Iguana ting three of the four primary, local habitats for the respective resources in each (Table 1). These Brachyphlla sp. Bat habitat areas, as defined by Wing (1989:142; Wing and Reitz 1982), are: 1) Terrestrial; 2) Near Shore; Mycteria americana Wood stork 3) Off Shore; and 4) Pelagic. Spatial analysis reveals that all four of these habitats lie within 5 kilo- Pelecanus sp. Pelican meters of the PH-14 settlement (Figure 2). Cardisoma sp. Land crab Coenobita sp. Hermit crab 1) Terrestrial habitat: Passeriformes Passerine bird

This habitat would include the land, as well as beaches, rocky shorelines, and mangroves. Near Shore Habitat Faunal analysis has identified the remains of rice rat (Oryzomys sp.), bat (Brachyphlla sp), iguana (Iguana delicatissima), agouti (Dasyprocta aguti or Dasyprocta leporina), land crabs (Cardisoma sp.), her- Holocentrus sp. Squirrelfish mit crabs (Coenobita sp.), Wood Stork (Mycteria americana), and a variety of yet to be identified Lutjanus sp. Snapper Passerine birds, from the land-based habitat at PH-14. Some of the molluscs identified, such as Haemulon sp. Grunt Crassostrea sp. and Isognomon sp., prefer an inshore, mangrove setting. Remains of the terrestrial Diodon sp. Porcupinefish creatures, although represented at all levels of both excavation units, are far less abundant than the Trichechus manatus Manatee large (but still unspecified) quantity of bone from marine aquatic species (primarily fish). Mythrax sp. Marine crab Interestingly, the rice rat, iguana, and agouti are no longer found on the island. As noted by Steadman (et al. 1984), there are reasons for suspecting that human predation was responsible for Off Shore Habitat some of these extinctions, possibly in prehistoric times. Halichoeres sp. Wrasse 2) Near Shore habitat: Epinephelus sp. Grouper Scarus sp. Parrotfish This rich habitat includes shallow water estuaries, and the grassy and rocky bottom marine Sparisoma sp. Parrotfish coastal areas. This inter-tidal zone is amply represented at PH-14 by a wide variety of molluscs, Acanthurus sp. Surgeonfish such as Cittarium pica, Astrea sp., Oliva sp., Codakia sp., crustaceans, such as Marine Crab (Mythrax Caranx sp. Jack sp.) and many vertebrate species. The latter includes squirrelfish (Holocentrus sp.), snapper Sphyraena sp. Barracuda (Lutjanus sp.), grunt (Haemulon sp.), and porcupinefish (Diodon sp.). Also recovered was evidence Calamus sp. Porgy for the large marine mammal, the sea cow, or manatee (Trichechus manatus), now extinct in Antigua Balistidae Leatherjacket but represented at the site by a fragment of a carbonized rib. Watters (et al. 1984:408) has argued Squaliformes Shark that the manatee was lost in Pre-Columbian times elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles due to over-hun- ting. _

1 after Murphy 1995: Table 14, 109-113.

_

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276 277 3) Off Shore habitat: _ This habitat includes reefs within a few kilometers of land, and the marine banks. The majo- rity of the fish identified so far at PH-14 derive from this ecozone. Of the vertebrates, the species Table 2. Molluscs from Excavation 1, Muddy Bay (PH-14), Antigua.1 which appear to be most represented were the parrotfish (Scarus sp. and Sparisoma sp.), and the sur- geonfish (Acanthurus sp.), both omnivores native to the reef zone. Also represented, but to a lesser extent, was the grouper (Epinephelus sp.), barracuda (Sphyraena sp.), jack (Caranx sp.), Porgy Polecypoda (Bivalves) MNIS (Percent) (Calamus sp.) and several other vertebrate and cartilaginous fish (Table 1). Arca zebra 1658 ( 29.5) 4) Pelagic habitat: Pinctada radiata 1422 ( 25.3) Chama macerophylla 440 ( 7.8) This zone consists of the open, deep waters typically beyond 5 kilometers from shore. So far, Brachiodontes recurvus 395 ( 7.0) we have been unable to identify any larger pelagic species from the Muddy Bay midden. Isognomon radiatus 257 ( 4.6) Codakia lucina 175 ( 3.1) While analysis of the bony and crustacean remains, especially from Excavation 1, is still in pro- Anadaria notabilis 163 ( 2.9) gress, identification of the molluscan remains from PH-14 is complete. The total Minimum Modiolus americanus 59 ( 1.1) Number of Individual Specimens (MNIS) of molluscs excavated in 1994 was 12,839 representing 25 Antigona listeri 30 ( 0.5) taxa (Tables 2 and 3). Of these invertebrates, bivalves were the molluscs most commonly repre- Crassostrea rhizophorae 23 ( 0.4) sented. Thirteen (13) species of bivalves, eleven (11) of gastropods, and one (1) polyplacophora Ostrea frons 4 ( 0.1) (Chiton tuberculatus) have been identified. (Univalves) Turkey Wings (Arca zebra), a bivalve, accounted for 1658 MNIS (29.5%) in Excavation 1, and 2513 MNIS (34.8%) in Excavation 2. Turkey Wings were closely followed in abundance by the Nerita 576 ( 10.3) Atlantic Pearl Oyster (Pinctada radiata), also a bivalve, totaling 1422 MNIS (25.3%) in Excavation 1, Cittarium pica 138 ( 2.5) and 1998 MNIS (27.7%) in Excavation 2. The third most represented molluscan species was the gas- Murex brevifron 94 ( 1.7) tropod Nerite (Neritidae), totaling 576 MNIS (10.3%) in Excavation 1, and 551 MNIS (7.6%) in Strombus gigas 83 ( 1.5) Excavation 2. Strombus pugilis 35 ( 0.6) dysoni 6 ( 0.1) While the sizable volume of shell represented in the midden at PH-14 indicates an obvious uti- Astrea 4 ( 0.1) lization of shellfish by the site inhabitants during post-Saladoid times, and reveals insights to habi- Fasciolaria tulipa 2 ( 0.0) tats being exploited, these gross totals (and percentages) must must be interpreted with caution for Strombus rainus 1 ( 0.0) several reasons. canaliculatus 1 ( 0.0)

First, the meat weights of the recovered specimens are, obviously, not equal. Estimates of meat Amphineura (Chitons) weight averages for each species must be calculated and then considered in comparison. For example, the calculated average meat yield for the Turkey Wing (Arca zebra) is 2.5 gm, and 3.5 gm Chiton tuberculatus 53 ( 0.9) for the Atlantic Pearl Oyster (Pinctada radiata) (Rote 1991:19-25), numerically the two most repre- sented species in both units at PH-14. In comparison, the conch (Strombus gigas), and the West TOTAL 5619 (100.0) Indian Topshell (Cittarium pica), were ranked well down the list on the basis of abundance. However, average meat weight of these two less frequent species is considerably higher than most. _ The conch (Strombus gigas), for example, provides an average meat value of 33.32 gm, and the West Indian Top Shell (Cittarium pica) has 8.2 gm. This means that one 1 after Murphy 1995: Table 16. conch is roughly equivalent to 13.32 Turkey Wings, or 9.52 Atlantic Wing Oysters, or about 158.7 Nerites. _

278 279 Third, we are unable to calculate the meat weights for those marine species that might have been _ exploited but leave behind few, if any, faunal remains (e.g. shrimp and sea-cucumbers)(Jones 1979, 1985). Table 3. Molluscs from Excavation 2, Muddy Bay (PH-14), Antigua.1 _ Fourth, depositional and post-depositional factors must be also be considered. The 1994 shell totals are based on specimens excavated at the site, but excluding any that may have been used and Pelecypoda (Bivalves) MNIS (Percent) deposited off site by inhabitants. For example, there are indications of an active shellworking industry at PH-14 (Murphy 1995:83-95). Therefore, some species of shell may have been selected Arca zebra 2513 (34.8) out as preferential raw material for jewelry or toolmaking. If so, these types of shell may actually Pinctada radiata 1998 (27.7) be deposited elsewhere within the settlement (e.g. in specific shellworking localities), and be under- Chama macrophylla 384 ( 5.3) represented in the midden deposits sampled in 1994. Brachiodontes recurvus 315 ( 4.4) Isognomon radiatus 273 ( 3.8) Finally, another potential post-depositional problem, which could effect the accuracy of the Codakia lucina 212 ( 2.9) numbers of gastropods represented, is the activity of hermit crabs at PH-14. During the 1994 inves- Anadaria notabilis 176 ( 2.4) tigations, these crabs were noticed, on a daily basis, wandering among the disturbed shell and cera- Modiolus americanus 84 ( 1.2) mic debris. They were often utilizing the West Indian Top Shell. As remains of both species (her- Crassostrea rhizophorae 82 ( 1.1) mit crab and top shell) are found at all levels of both excavated units, we know that they co-exis- Pinna carnea 61 ( 0.8) ted in antiquity and we can only speculate on the long term effect hermit crabs might have had on Antigona listeri 49 ( 0.7) the deposition and representation of gastropods in the excavated sample. Ostera frons 28 ( 0.4) Donax 18 ( 0.2) Discussion:

Gastropoda (Univalves) An examination of the site catchment area surrounding PH-14 indicates the distances that would have been traversed (over land or sea) to procure the different species represented (Figure Nerita 551( 7.6) 2). The near shore estuaries, mangroves and shallow grassy/rocky bottom habitat areas for most Strombus pugilis 117( 1.6) of the molluscs and the manatee lay within 2 kilometers of the settlement. The reefs and banks Murex brevifron 86 ( 1.2) occur within 2 to 4 kilometers, and were the natural habitat for most of the marine fish and some Cittarium pica 73 ( 1.0) of the molluscs identified; and the pelagic/open water habitat lies beyond 5 kilometers. As for ter- Strombus gigas 63 ( 0.9) restrial resources, a sufficient variety of geophysical zones, including Ayers Creek, lies within the 5 Astrea 27 ( 0.4) kilometer radius of the site to include all of the terrestrial species identified. The catchment basin Diodora dysoni 7 ( 0.1) of Ayers Creek, the only local source of freshwater, remains today a fertile strip of wet land on the Oliva reticularis 5 ( 0.1) dry east coast. Fasciolaria tulipa 1 ( 0.0) Analysis of faunal remains provides opportunities to examine human adaptations and subsis- tence patterns (deFrance 1989:57; Winter and Wing 1995). The indigenous peoples of the Lesser Amphineura (Chitons) Antilles have been characterized as a marine oriented culture (Watters 1982:2-9). While still in pro- gress, the faunal research at Muddy Bay already indicates that the inhabitants of this site were hea- Chiton tuberculatus 97 (1.3) vily dependent on reef fish for subsistence. The vast majority of cleaned and examined bones, from both excavation units, appear to belong to marine species of fish. Given the abundance of marine TOTAL 7220 (99.9) resources within the identified catchment areas, and the general consistency of the species of fish represented in the midden, it is unlikely that the PH-14 fishermen needed to travel beyond 5 kilo- meters from the site. Not only would more extensive trips probably have exposed them to greater 1 after Murphy 1995: Table 17. risks at sea, but also could have brought them into direct competition with fishermen of other contemporary settlements. _ The near shore resources, located within close proximity of the settlement, would have been most effected by human exploitation in antiquity. This is especially true of the rocky shoreline that Second, we can only assume that the species represented in the midden deposits were, in fact, is quite accessible to gathering activities by adults and children alike. being consumed by the residents. Some of the shellfish meat could, conceivably, have served as bait for other fishing activities, or even been retrieved quite unintentionally.

280 281 On the basis of the identified species represented at PH-14, some specific technological inferences can also be drawn. For example, the two predominant species of fish identified so far in the reco- References Cited: vered sample are the parrotfish (Sparisoma sp., Scarus sp.) and the surgeonfish (Acanthurus sp.). deFrance, Susan D. Both are reef fish that will not normally be caught by hook-and-line technology (Watters et al. 1989 Saladoid and Ostionoid Subsistence Adaptations: 1984:408; Wing and Scudder 1983:209). These species are traditionally caught with traps in Zooarchaeological Data from a Coastal Occupation on Puerto Rico. In Early Ceramic Population Antigua, a practice which perists even today. This method may have also been employed by the Lifeways and Adaptive Strategies in the Caribbean, edited by P.E. Siegel, pp. 57-77. BAR International post-Saladoid period fishermen of PH-14. Series 506. Oxford.

Wing and Reitz (1982:27) noted that evidence for the utilization of prehistoric fishtraps may be Goodwin, R. Christopher inferred from the types and sizes of the recovered specimens. Due to the size of the entrance and 1980 Demographic Change and the Crab-Shell Dichotomy. InProceedings of the Eighth the gauge of the trap «walls», the range of sizes of the caught specimens will be limited and quite International Congress for the Study of Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Lesser Antilles, edited by S.M. consistent. This uniformity and consistency is currently being observed for many of the PH-14 spe- Lewenstein, pp. 45-68. Arizona State University, Anthropology Research Papers 22. Tempe, AZ. cimens. Although fish traps may not account for all of the marine fish species represented, preli- minary indications are that it was probably the primary method of fishing technology utilized at Healy, Paul F. and A. Reg Murphy Muddy Bay. 1995 Excavation at the Muddy Bay (PH-14) Site, Antigua, West Indies: Preliminary Report on the 1994 Investigations.Paper presented at the XVIo Elsewhere, we have noted some secondary evidence for agricultural activities at PH-14, with International Congress of Caribbean Archaeology. Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, F.W.I. manioc production quite probable (Healy and Murphy 1995; Murphy 1995:53-55). The striking variety and volume of shellfish and fish at PH-14, combined with the fishing technologies necessa- Jones, Alick R. ry to procure them, defines the Muddy Bay settlement as a a coastal fishing village. Since no off 1979 Animal Food and Human Population at Indian Creek, Antigua. In Proceedings of the shore, pelagic specimens of fish have been identified yet, it can be tentatively concluded that there 8th Congress of the International Association of Caribbean Archaelogy, pp. 264-268. St. Kitts. were sufficient near shore resources to sustain the local population at PH-14. The subsistence stra- 1985 Dietary Changes and Human Population at Indian Creek, Antigua. tegy was based primarily on fishing off the reefs and banks; foraging for abundant and accessible American Antiquity 50:518-536. shellfish in the grassy bottom estuaries, mangroves and rocky shoreline; and by further supple- menting this marine-based diet with the hunting of available terrestrial species (e.g. crabs, iguanas, Murphy, A. Reg rice rats, birds, agoutis), and with cultivation. 1995 Archaeological Investigations at Muddy Bay (PH-14), Antigua, West Indies: A Post-Saladoid Settlement. M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, Trent University. Peterborough, Ontario, Overall, preliminary faunal analysis of the large PH-14 invertebrate and vertebrate collections Canada. indicates that the post-Saladoid inhabitants were exploiting both terrestrial and aquatic resources for subsistence, with greatest emphasis on the latter. Our preliminary results from Muddy Bay Rainey, Froelich G. reinforce a reconstruction which depicts later occupations on the Caribbean islands, especially in 1940 Porto Rican Archaeology. Scientific Survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands, Vol. the Lesser Antilles, developing an economy based on a greater dependence on fishing and shellfi- XVIII (Part 1). The New York Academy of Sciences, New York. sh gathering, and a diminished reliance on land (Goodwin 1980; Rainey 1940; Wing 1989:137, 143-144; Wing et al. 1968; Winter and Wing 1995). Spatial analysis has located the most Rote, David J. likely zones of exploitation for individual species represented, and provided insights to subsisten- 1991 Shellfish Gatherers of Nonsuch Bay, Antigua: A Case Study in Subsistence Strategies. ce strategies, technologies, and resource procurement activities. Additional, future analyses should M.A. thesis, Department of Anthropology, Tulane University. New Orleans, LA. further clarify this emerging picture of late prehistoric subsistence and paleoecology in Antigua. Steadman, David W., Gregory K. Pregill, and Storrs L. Olson Acknowledgements: 1984 Fossil Vertebrates from Antigua, Lesser Antilles: Evidence for Late Holocene Human-Caused Extinctions in the West Indies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Research conducted in 1994 at the Muddy Bay site was partially funded by a grant to P.F. Healy Sciences (USA) 81:4448-44451. from the Trent University Committee on Research. In Antigua, special thanks is extended to the staff of the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, especially to Desmond Nicholson. Student assistants Watters, David R. included David Cruz, Toni Fredricks, and Vicki LaRose (University of Toronto) and Christy de 1982 Relating Oceanography to Antillean Archaeology: Implications from Oceania. Journal Mille (Trent University). Analysis of the faunal collections was facilitated by assistance from Kevin of New World Archaeology 5(2): 3-12. Semore of the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto). Dr. Elizabeth S. Wing (Florida State Museum) also provided several helpful identifications of proble- Watters, David R., Elizabeth J. Reitz, David W. Steadman, and Gregory K. Pregill matic specimens. The authors are grateful to all of the above for their cooperation and help. 1984 Vertebrates from Archaeological Sites on Barbuda, West Indies. Annals of Carnegie Museum 53:383-412.

282 283 Wing, Elizabeth S. 1989 Human Exploitation of Animal Resources in the West Indies. In Biogeography of the West Indies: Past, Present, and Future, edited by Charles A. Woods, pp. 137-152. Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, FL.

Wing, Elizabeth S., Charles A. Hoffman, and C.E. Ray 1968 Vertebrate Remains from Indian Sites on Antigua, West Indies. Caribbean Journal of Science 8: 123-139.

Wing, Elizabeth S. and Elizabeth J. Reitz 1982 Prehistoric Fishing Economies of the Caribbean. Journal of New World Archaeology 5(2):13-32.

Wing, Elizabeth S. and Sylvia J. Scudder 1983 Animal Exploitation by Prehistoric People Living on a Tropical Marine Edge. In Animals and Archaeology, Vol. 2: Shell Middens, Fishes, and Birds, edited by C. Grigson and J. Clutton-Brick, pp. 197-209. BAR International Series 183. Oxford.

Winter, John and Elizabeth Wing 1995 A Refuse Midden at the Minnis Ward Site, San Salvador, Bahamas. In Proceedings of the XV International Congress for Caribbean Archaeology, edited by Ricardo E. Alegria and Miguel Rodriguez, pp. 423-433. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Figure 1 : Prehistoric settlements and ecosystems, Nonsuch Bay, east coast of Antigua

285 284 EXCAVATIONS AT THE MUDDY BAY SITE (PH-14), ANTIGUA, WEST INDIES:PRELIMI- NARY REPORT ON THE 1994 INVESTIGATIONS

Paul F. HEALY and Reg MURPHY University Peterborough, Ontario CANADA

Résumé Des recherches archéologiques ont été entreprises en 1994 au site de Muddy Bay à Nonsuch Bay sur la côte est d’Antigua. Une petite station préhistorique marquée par un dépotoir de coquillages. Le site de Muddy Bay est menacé par les constructions modernes. Cet inventaire décrit la location et l’écologie du site, les recherches menées à Nonsuch Bay, et la méthodologie de 1994. Une brève des- cription est fournie sur les objets retrouvés (céramiques et lithiques pour la plus part) et sur les restes de squelettes humains. Le matériel est bien défini culturellement plusieurs des détermina- tions de radiocarbone à Muddy Bay à 1000-1200 AD.

Abstract Archaeological investigations were undertaken in 1994 at the Muddy Bay (PH-14) site in Nonsuch Bay on the east coast of Antigua. A small prehistoric coastal settelment, marked by extensive surface shell refuse, the Muddy Bay site is threatened by modern development. This report describes the location and ecological set- ting of the site, previous research in Nonsuch Bay, and the 1994 methodology. A brief description is provided of the recovered artifacts (mostly ceramics and lithics) and human skeletal remains. The well preserved mate- rial culture and several radiocarbon determinations place occupation at Muddy Bay at ca. 1000-1200 A.D.

Introduction:

The site of Muddy Bay (PH-14) is located on the east coast of Antigua within the greater Nonsuch Bay area (Figs. 1 and 2). Geologically, this is part of the Northeastern Limestone Region of Antigua (Harris 1965:9-11; Loveless 1960; Mutler et al. 1986). It is a dry, arid area, receiving less than 115 cm (40 inches) of rain per year (Hill 1966). Modern vegetation at Muddy Bay is primarily xerophytic evergreen bushland, typical of the limestone region and offshore islands of Antigua. The only viable nearby source of fresh water for the site is Ayres Creek, located about 2 kilometers away. Despite the harshness of the setting today, there are several prehistoric sites on Nonsuch Bay and suggestions of human habitation from Archaic times (Nicholson 1992)(Figure 3).

The Site and Excavations:

The area of prehistoric settlement at Muddy Bay is marked today by abundant, scattered sur- face refuse, particularly shell and broken pottery (Murphy 1995). This concentration of cultural remains covers an area, roughly oval in shape, approximately 166 meters (east-west) and 118 meters (north-south). The entire area is presently scheduled for the development of a series of coastal vil- Figure 2 : Defined distances within catchment area, PH -14 las, which threatens the existence of PH-14 and other archaeological sites in the bay. Because of this, the Historical and Archaeological Society of Antigua began gathering information more inten- sively in this vicinity in the mid-1980’s. This work included mapping efforts, surface survey of identified sites, and some test excavation.1 By 1993, road construction, property lot demarcation, fence building, and villa construction were all in progress.

286 287