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Figure 3.3. Location of selected sites from which lithic collections were analyzed in the present work: (a) Puerto Ferro; (b) La Hueca-­ Sorcé; (c) Punta Candelero; (d) Punta Guayanés; (e) Lilly-­ C aribe; (f ) Praderas; (g) Paso del Indio; (h) Río Tanamá; (i) Vega de Nelo Vargas; (j) Finca de Doña Rosa. 46 / Chapter 3 2670 cal b.c. (lithostratigraphic unit A), 660 cal b.c. and 450 cal b.c. (lithostratigraphic unit B), and cal a.d. 90 (lithostratigraphic unit C). These were followed by an occupation related to Cuevas style ceramics (lithostratigraphic unit D; cal a.d. 450 to cal a.d. 800), another that had Pure Ostiones pottery (lithostratigraphic unit E; cal a.d. 850 to cal a.d. 1000), and then another layer that had Modified Ostiones/Santa Elena styles (lithostratigraphic units F and G; cal a.d. 1000 to cal a.d. 1300). The latest precolonial occupation was related to Capá style ceramics (lithostratigraphic unit G; cal a.d. 1300 to cal a.d. 1440). To top it all, this site also had an early colonial component. La Hueca-­Sorcé La Hueca-­Sorcé rests on the southwestern section of the island of Vieques, which is located approximately 14 km east of the southeastern fringe of Puerto Rico proper (Figure 1.1). The site itself is located about 650 m from the coast on three coastal terraces that descend gradually towards the Caribbean Sea. La Hueca-­Sorcé was first discovered in 1977 when investigations in search of the route of entrance of the earliest ceramic immigrants to Puerto Rico were conducted under the direction of Luis Chanlatte Baik and Yvonne Narganes Storde (Chanlatte Baik and Narganes Storde 1980). As a result of Chanlatte Baik’s initial discovery, ongoing systematic excavations have been conducted at this site, which covers a total area of approximately 2 km2 . At present, seven deposits associated with the Huecoide Table 3.1. General categories of analyzed materials by site Core-­ Flake Reduction Pecked/Ground Site Cores Flakes/ Shatter Use-­ Modified Celts/ Adzes Other Ground Total Paso del Indio 184 2,036 455 63 169 2,907 Puerto Ferro 7 72 8 1 4 92 La Hueca-­ Sorcé 345 1,219 256 86 22 1,928 Punta Candelero 221 1,040 292 23 49 1,625 Punta Guayanés 42 359 174 14 5 594 Río Tanamá 59 689 34 7 24 813 Lilly-­ Caribe 2 77 4 — 1 84 Praderas 12 137 19 16 18 202 Finca de Doña Rosa 28 256 48 1 4 337 Vega de Nelo Vargas 7 123 8 1 — 139 Total 907 6,008 1,298 212 296 8,721 The Method, the Sample, the Contexts / 47 complex have been detected as well as another 14 middens that contain archaeological materials defined as part of the Hacienda Grande style; these two areas are spatially segregated from each other. More detailed chronological and spatial information about this site will be provided in Chapter 4. Puerto Ferro Located on the island of Vieques, Puerto Ferro is one of the oldest sites recorded in the Antilles, with dates that range between 2330 cal b.c. and 460 cal b.c. Excavations directed by Luis Chanlatte Baik at the site revealed the presence of Pre-­Arawak materials in a rather shallow residual soil layer, whose cultural deposits extended about 25 cm below the surface (Chanlatte Baik 1991). This site, which housed the remains of the famous Hombre de Puerto Ferro, also presented a marked quantity of shell and coral remains. The lithic materials that were analyzed were obtained from seven 1-­ ×-­ 1-­ m excavation units that were placed to the south of a group of massive diorite boulders that provide this site its unique character. Punta Candelero The site of Punta Candelero lies in the Municipality of Humacao, located on the eastern end of Puerto Rico. It is separated from La Hueca-­Sorcé by the Vieques Sound and, as described by Rodríguez López (1987), under certain atmospheric conditions the two sites are within sight of each other. Punta Candelero nestles on an embayed beach peninsula that intrudes at least 1 km seaward. The site is located over the ridges of a chain of elongated dunes that rise up to 2 m above sea level, thus protecting the area from the ocean beatings and the flood events of the river. The site area was estimated to extend 110 m (north–south axis) by 180...

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