The Peoples of the Caribbean : An Encyclopedia of Archaeology and Traditional Culture

In __The Peoples of the Caribbean__, archaeologist Nicholas J. Saunders assembles for the first time a comprehensive sourcebook on the archaeology, folklore, and mythology of the entire region, charting a story 7,000 years in the making. Drawing on decades of study in the Caribbean and South America, Saunders explores landmark archaeological sites, such as Caguana in Puerto Rico, with its ceremonial architecture and ballcourts, and plantation sites, such as Jamaica's Drax Hall. The author dives into the underwater archaeology of Spanish treasure galleons and untangles stories of cannibalism, zombies, and hallucinogenic snuffing rituals. He examines the impact of key Europeans, such as Christopher Columbus, and introduces readers to the native people, such as the Arawak, who welcomed them. Bringing the story up-to-date, Saunders chronicles the struggle of the indigenous people, from the Caribs of Dominica to the Taíno of the Dominican Republic, trying to reclaim and revitalize their historical cultural identity. A true'first,'this encyclopedia is the only comprehensive guide ever published on the archaeology and traditional culture of the Caribbean.In The Peoples of the Caribbean, archaeologist Nicholas J. Saunders assembles for the first time a comprehensive sourcebook on the archaeology, folklore, and mythology of the entire region, charting a story 7,000 years in the making. Drawing on decades of study in the Caribbean and South America, Saunders explores landmark archaeological sites, such as Caguana in Puerto Rico, with its ceremonial architecture and ballcourts, and plantation sites, such as Jamaica's Drax Hall.The author dives into the underwater archaeology of Spanish treasure galleons and untangles stories of cannibalism, zombies, and hallucinogenic snuffing rituals. He examines the impact of key Europeans, such as Christopher Columbus, and introduces readers to the native people, such as the Arawak, who welcomed them. Bringing the story up-to-date, Saunders chronicles the struggle of the indigenous people, from the Caribs of Dominica to the Taíno of the Dominican Republic, trying to reclaim and revitalize their historical cultural identity. "The Caribbean is named for interlopers - the Caribs - who arrived a century before the interlopers - the Spanish - who colonized the land, enslaved the inhabitants, and destroyed a 6,500-year-old culture. The millions of African slaves who replaced the natives produced the rich cultural mix that now exists within the paradox of sunny tourist beaches and the plight of the Western Hemisphere's poorest people. This is the first single encyclopedic source for all these stories - people, places, cultures, and resources." "Since the advent of jet travel and the rise of the cruise industry, millions have seen a sanitized vision of the Caribbean: Carnival revelry, steel-drum beats, and white-sand beaches. This encyclopedia goes deep beneath the veneer to show the origins in slavery of the modern African-based culture; the brief, cataclysmic destruction of the indigenous peoples; and the seven-millennium history of life in the Caribbean before Columbus. No other work gives as complete a picture of this beautiful, complex region."--Jacket In "The Peoples of the Caribbean," archaeologist Nicholas J. Saunders assembles for the first time a comprehensive sourcebook on the archaeology, folklore, and mythology of the entire region, charting a story 7,000 years in the making. Drawing on decades of study in the Caribbean and South America, Saunders explores landmark archaeological sites, such as Caguana in Puerto Rico, with its ceremonial architecture and ballcourts, and plantation sites, such as Jamaica's Drax Hall. The author dives into the underwater archaeology of Spanish treasure galleons and untangles stories of cannibalism, zombies, and hallucinogenic snuffing rituals. He examines the impact of key Europeans, such as Christopher Columbus, and introduces readers to the native people, such as the Arawak, who welcomed them. Bringing the story up-to-date, Saunders chronicles the struggle of the indigenous people, from the Caribs of Dominica to the Taino of the Dominican Republic, trying to reclaim and revitalize their historical cultural identity. This is a comprehensive sourcebook on the archaeology, folklore and mythology of the entire Caribbean region. Drawing on decades of study in the Caribbean and South America, it explores archaeological sites, like Caguana in Puerto Rico and plantation sites, like Jamaica's Drax hall Preliminaries Contents Introduction A - K L - Z Bibliography Index