Jamaica is the third largest island in the Caribbean sea and there were thousands of indigenous inhabitants when Christopher Columbus "discovered " the island in 1494 AD. What were the original Jamaican inhabitants and how did they settle on the island?
According to Irving Rouse, the professor of anthropology at Yale, there were four main cultures exist in the different stages of the development of Caribbean culture: Ciboney, Early Arawak Indians from Orinoco Vallley, sub-Taino and Taino. Besides, Sub-Taino was similar to the Taino.
The first tide of migration to Caribbean was around 5000-2000 BC and the first migrants were called Ciboney Inidans. They probably came from Florida or Yucatan and migrated southward to the Greater Antilles through a now submerged chain of small islands that used to run from the eastern Yucatan to Cuba and Jamaica. The Ciboney people were cave dwelling people, and used basic tools for fishing and gathering. The culture was called preceramic culture because there were no ceramics found during this period. There were no clear evidence to prove the existence of Ciboney clture in Jamaica until Robert Howard's time (1960s). However, Howard and many other scholars believed that the similar site to Cuba Ciboney would be found in Jamaica, for the Ciboney occupation in the other Greater Antilles islands is confirmed and the "archaeology provides no obviou s explanation for the bypassing of Jamaica by the Meso-Indian migrants (Ciboney people)." (Howard, 1965).
The second migration tide was from 400 to 200 BC. The culture was called Saladoid culture for the peculiar forms of ceramics and the prosperity of the culture was from 250 BC to 500 BC. The Saladoid culture was created by early Arawak Indians who came from Orinoco Valley in South Ameridca. They went north to the Lesser Antilles and then went west to the Greater Antilles. The typical work of the culture was Cuevas-Ostinoes found in Puerto Rico (400-600). According to Howard, the site of the culture in Jamaica is Little River, which located on the north-central coast of the island. The site, which was created around 500 AD, is directly on the coast and there are few materials survived. Nevertheless, Irving Rouse indicated that the potteries found in the Little River were similar to the Cuevas-Ostinoes in Puerto Rico. It represents that the Jamaican saladoid inhabitants probably came from west islands such as Puerto Rico.
The third migration wave mighe appear from 650 to 1000 AD. This time came the Taino who met Spainish in the late fifteenth century. Taino also came from the Orinoco region and they reached Jamaica via the Dominican Republic. The Taino site in Jamaica is White Marl founded in 900 AD. In many Spanish documents, Taino was described as peace and mild people. However, some documents declared that Taino people enslaved previous Saladoid people. The enslved Saladoid people were called Naborias by Spainish.
In a conclusion, there were about three waves of migration in Caribbean including Jamaica. The Ciboney people arrived at Jamaica about 4000-2000 BC who came from north or central America. The Saladoid and Taino were both Arawak Indians and they came from south America. The ancient migrants went to Caribbean by sea and they settled islands after islands.
Sources: 1. Robert R. Howar, New perspectives on Jamaica Archaeology, Society For American Archaeology Press:1965. (http://www. jstor.org/pss/2693993)
2. Lesley-Gail Arkinson, Taino Influence On Jamaican Folk traditions, (http://www. jnkt-com/download/influence.pdf)
3. Marian BeWolf, Excavation in Jamaica, Society For American Archaeology Press:1953( http://www. jstor.org/pdd/277038)
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