ANIMAL USE AND COMMUNITY IN PRE-COLUMBIAN PUERTO RICO: ZOOARCHAEOLOGY OF THE RÍO PORTUGUÉS By GEOFFREY R. DUCHEMIN A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2013 1 © 2013 Geoffrey R. DuChemin 2 To my girls: Michelle, Emma, and Bella 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are so many people who helped me during the long process of researching and writing this dissertation that I fear I could never remember them all. First, I need to express my utmost gratitude to Dr. Susan deFrance, my graduate advisor, dissertation committee chair, teacher, and mentor. I have her to thank for giving me the opportunity to pursue a higher education. Susan went above and beyond her advisory role, continuously offering her support and advice. She served as my advocate, leading me towards quality research opportunities. I thank her for her patience and guidance as I wrote (and rewrote) this dissertation. I also thank my other dissertation committee members, Drs. Michael Moseley, William Keegan, and ecologist, Brian Silliman. Dr. Moseley showed me that the one of the best ways to learn is in a friendly environment—and maybe over a few beers. He has been a continuous source of advice and inspiration during my years at UF. Bill Keegan introduced me to Caribbean archaeology, and encouraged me to challenge established ideas—and to develop alternate perspectives on Caribbean prehistory. I also thank Bill for always being available to offer advice, read and comment on drafts, and point me toward new and important literature. Also, many thanks go to Brian Silliman, who served as my outside dissertation committee member. He kindly agreed to join my committee while busy with his own ecology students and research projects. I appreciate the perspectives he offered, which reminded of the importance of a scientific approach. I also would like to thank Dr. Antonio Curet for welcoming me into the Tibes team, where I began my journey into Puerto Rican archaeology. My participation in excavations at the Ceremonial Center of Tibes provided my first opportunity to explore 4 my own research in the region. Antonio and Dr. William Pestle were kind enough to include me in their research projects at Tibes. The Tibes Archaeological Survey Project was performed with the help of students from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. Those team members included: Patricia Concepcion, Ricardo Magraina, Lisa Marrero, Juan Santos, Angel Vega, and Rogelio Velasquez. I extend my gratitude to them and their professor, Dr. Reniel Rodriguez Ramos, who is also a colleague and friend. TASP would not have been possible without Carmen Lageur Díaz, who helped to keep the project afloat. In the field, Carmen assisted me with the excavation and documentation of column samples, in the lab, she managed the recordation and sorting of artifacts, and everywhere else she served as our translator. I am also appreciative to Chris Espenshade and his team at New South Associates for giving me the opportunity to work on the La Jácanas project. I must thank the many helpful individuals at the Florida Museum of Natural History, including Dr. Kitty Emery, the curator of environmental archaeology, and Irv Quittmyer, the collections manager. Work in the museum over the years has been a joy thanks to the other zooarchaeologist and researchers who were always quick to offer advice or assistance with a difficult identification. Specifically, many thanks goes to Nicole Cannarozzi, who assisted with the identification of invertebrate remains from La Jácanas. Nicole is a brilliant zooarchaeologist with a wealth of knowledge—and never hesitates to offer help with any challenge. I extend my sincerest gratitude to my colleague and dear friend, Dr. Josh Torres. As the principal investigator of the Tibes Archaeological Survey Project, Josh made this 5 dissertation possible. Josh was kind enough to invite me to help with the project, and gave me the academic freedom to pursue my own research objectives. His support, advice, and friendship continue to be a source of encouragement for me. Lastly, I thank those who are closest to me. I thank my mother-in-law and father- in-law, Les and Pat Michael, for all the help throughout the years. My father, Richard DuChemin, has supported me in every way possible. After the death of my mother, he worked tirelessly to provide for me and my younger sister. He always pushed me to follow my dreams, whatever they may be. I know he would do anything to help me accomplish any goal. There are no words to express the gratitude I have for my wife, Michelle. She has made many sacrifices so I could pursue my graduate studies. I thank her for her love, patience, and inspiration. No one worked harder than her to make this work possible— not even me. And finally, I thank my daughters, Emma and Bella. I am sustained by their love and laughter. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... 10 LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 15 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................... 17 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 18 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 20 2 NATURAL AND HISTORICAL SETTING ................................................................ 29 Culture History ........................................................................................................ 29 The Rousean Model ......................................................................................... 29 Prehistory of Puerto Rico.................................................................................. 31 Natural and Physical Setting ................................................................................... 40 3 THEORETICAL APPROACH TO INTERPRETATION OF REMAINS AND PRESENTATION OF THE RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................... 50 Interpretive Trends in Zooarchaeology ................................................................... 51 Food and Community.............................................................................................. 57 Symbolic Role of Animals in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean ................................. 60 Defining Ceremonial Space .................................................................................... 66 Research Questions, and Hypotheses.................................................................... 68 Detecting a Unifying Social Structure ............................................................... 69 Ceremonialism and Bateys ............................................................................... 72 Community Interaction...................................................................................... 75 4 MATERIALS AND METHODS ................................................................................ 77 La Jácanas ............................................................................................................. 78 Tibes Archaeological Survey Project ...................................................................... 82 Methods of Recovery of TASP ......................................................................... 85 Column samples and fine-screening .......................................................... 86 Descriptions of column samples ................................................................ 93 Identification of Bone and Shell .............................................................................. 99 Vertebrate Identification ................................................................................... 99 Invertebrate Identification ............................................................................... 101 Determining Meat Weight Contributions of Certain Taxa ............................... 102 7 Calculating Diversity and Equitability of Certain Samples .............................. 103 Radiocarbon Dating .............................................................................................. 104 5 FAUNAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................. 105 La Jácanas ........................................................................................................... 105 Identified Invertebrate Taxa ............................................................................ 135 Identified Vertebrate Taxa .............................................................................. 136 TASP Fauna ......................................................................................................... 140 La Minerál Invertebrates ................................................................................. 140 Column Sample 1 .................................................................................... 144 Column Sample 2 .................................................................................... 147 Los Gongolones Invertebrates ......................................................................