Pottery production during the post Saladoid period (c. AD600-1500) on the island of Nevis, Eastern Caribbean

This thesis examined the production of pottery during the post-Saladoid (late prehistoric) period at two sites, Coconut Walk and Indian Castle, on the island of Nevis. Three questions were addressed: - Is the pottery found at Coconut Walk and Indian Castle on the island of Nevis manufactured from locally available resources? - If it is not all local then where did the pottery originate from and was the movement of pottery vessel specific? - To what extent are these assemblages from Nevis similar or different to one another? Through the use of petrological analysis it was determined that all of the sherds analysed from Coconut Walk and Indian Castle were produced from material locally available on the island of Nevis. The second question was answered by the fact that no evidence was discovered to suggest that any of the vessels were produced on another island and brought to Nevis. The form and fabric of vessels analysed from the sites of Coconut Walk and Indian Castle were found to share a great many similarities possibly suggesting that either pottery were produced at one site and distributed to others or that potters were in close contact with one another sharing ideas about pot making and the raw material resources. This research represents the first comprehensive programme of petrological analysis as well as the first in depth analysis of post-Saladoid pottery assemblages ever undertaken on the island of Nevis.