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Taíno Society
Economy The Taínos were farmers and fishers, and practiced intensive root crop cultivation in conucos, or small raised plots. Manioc was the principal crop, but potatoes, beans, peanuts, peppers and other plants were also grown. Farming was supplemented with the abundant fish and shellfish animal
Taíno Culture History
The Taínos were among the most densely settled complex pre-state, sedentary societies in the Americas. Culture History Population estimates for the people living in the Caribbean in 1492 have varied enormously, and the debate over the number of Taíno living in Hispaniola when Columbus arrive
En Bas Saline
En Bas Saline, Haiti. En Bas Saline is located on the northeastern coast of Haiti about one kilometer from the village of Limonade Bord de Mer, and about 12 kilometers east of present day Cap Haitian. It is one of the largest Taíno village sites reported in Haiti, encompassing an area of some 95,000 square meters.
Taíno Archaeology
The site of En Bas Saline was first located and tested in 1977 by medical missionary and avocational archaeologist William Hodges of the Hopital le Bon Samaritain in Limbé, Haiti, as part of his lifelong search for Columbus's lost fort of La Navidad. Dr. Hodges was shown elaborate Taíno pottery by
Puerto Real
Archaeology 41(4):41-46. 1990 Spanish colonial adaptation to the New World: Current research at Puerto Real, Haiti. Proceedings of the 11th Congress of the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology. San Juan, Puerto Rico. pp. 448-52. 1992 From Spaniard to Creole: The archaeology of culture formation at Puerto Real. Haiti.
Material Remains
The materials excavated from En Bas Saline are currently being curated and maintained on behalf of the Haitian government by the Florida Museum of Natural History, through a cooperative agreement between the University of Florida and the Bureau National D'Ethnologie D'Haiti. The agreement also incl