Archaeology of the Caribbean in the Early Modern Period

Historical documents are frequently used for archaeological purposes and archaeology is used to supplement and replace historical documents when necessary. The European expansion into the Caribbean region in the early modern period, which is considered to span from the early 15th to the end of 18th century (Chaplin 53-49), is no exception. Although the Spanish, English, Dutch, Portuguese and French were all meticulous record keepers, some information has either been lost over long periods of time or not recorded. This is where the use of archaeology is so beneficial to the Caribbean history of the early modern period. There has been a plethora of knowledge gained through different forms of archaeological investigations in the Caribbean and much more waiting for archaeologists underneath both the waves and sand of this part of the world. The history of the European expansion in the Caribbean in the early modern period is not only concerned with the European colonial powers but also with the natives who occupied these lands whom the colonists settled on. Through the use of particular case studies and archaeological resources this essay will provide a few of the many examples of the contributions archaeology has had to Euro-Caribbean history in the early modern period