Petrography and Provenance of Sand Temper Within Ceramic Sherds from Carriacou, Southern Grenadines, West Indies

Petrographic descriptions and point counts of sherds from archaeological sites on Carriacou, the largest of the Grenadine Islands, show them to exhibit wide textural (temper to matrix ratio) and compositional variability. The major mineralogical components include plagioclase feldspar, pyroxene (augite), amphibole (hornblende), opaque minerals, and various volcaniclastic fragments, the latter exhibiting mostly either lathwork or microlitic textures. Sherds dominated by these components constitute an Igneous group, whereas other samples stand out in terms of their high dense mineral content (Placer group), high potassium feldspar content (Potassic Volcanic group), or high quartz content (Quartzose group). The provenance of sand in some of these sherd groups is likely nonindigenous to Carriacou, and possibly includes Puerto Rico (Potassic Volcanic) and Barbados (Quartzose), whereas the provenance of others (Igneous/Placer) is equivocal and potentially exotic to the island in that their composition is most consistent with active portions of the Antilles magmatic arc to the north. These results suggest widespread interaction within the southern Lesser Antilles and possibly other islands to the north and the possible use of clay and/or tempering materials as exchange items. (C) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.