Perforated tapir canine from the site La Poterie in Grenada, Lesser Antilles. (photo: Catarina Guzzo Falci in Hofman et al. 2020)
This perforated tapir canine comes from the site La Poterie, which is located on the northeast coast of Grenada. Use-wear analysis on the tooth revealed that it was affected by decay caused by the use, but not as much as the tapir incisor, which probably indicates that it was worn for a shorter period of time. Isotope analysis showed that the tooth must have been transported to Grenada from mainland South America.
Tapir canine (photo: Catrina Guzzo Falci in Hofman et al. 2020)
Isotopic analysis applied on the dental enamel of the tooth have revealed varied geographic origins for the pendant. Strontium and oxygen isotope results are found outside the ranges calculated for local fauna in Lesser Antilles and have values closer to the ranges of mainland South America. This means that the tooth was most likely brought from mainland South America into Grenada. The tapir canine probably originated from North - Central Venezuela.
Hofman, C.L., L.S. Borck, Laffoon, J.E., E.R. Slayton, Scott, R.B., T.W. Breukel, Falci, G.C., M. Favre and Hoogland, M.L.P., 2020. Island networks: Transformations of inter-community social relationships in the Lesser Antilles at the advent of European colonialism. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, ahead-of-print, 1-27.