Profs and Pints Online presents: “Retracing Ancient Caribbean Voyages,” a look at how the first peoples of that region found and settled its islands, with Scott M. Fitzpatrick, professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, associate director of research at the university’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History, and leader of numerous archeological digs on islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

[ This talk will remain available in recorded form at the link given here for tickets and access.]

It’s one thing to retrace the paths of ancient peoples who migrated to new regions on foot. Determining when and how islands were settled, however, is an entirely different kettle of fish. It requires not only piecing together archeological cues about ancient people’s seafaring ability, settlements, and habits, but also taking into account winds, currents, and a host of other environmental factors.

The islands of the Caribbean pose a host of mysteries. Which did America’s indigenous peoples discover first? How and why were they settled? Why were some settled early while others were settled late or never at all? Were they settled purposefully, with people deliberately setting out to find new homes, or accidentally, as a result of people stumbling upon them? What routes did people use?

Join Scott Fitzpatrick, a leading expert on island archeology, for an online talk on what clues exist and how they are being deciphered by archeologists and scholars in other scientific fields.

He’ll start by giving a broad overview of research on the world’s island settlements. He’ll discuss how for thousands of years humans have been developing various kinds of watercraft to travel across seas and oceans, and their contacts with both pristine island ecologies and indigenous peoples dramatically changed the scope of human history in myriad ways that we are only beginning to understand.

Current archaeological research in the Caribbean and Pacific show that some islands were colonized relatively early while others were settled relatively recently, or not at all. In some cases, there is evidence for people reaching islands but where they later disappeared, such as the so-called “Mystery Islands” of the Pacific. For many island societies worldwide, the acquisition and exchange of prized resources was fundamental to developing and maintaining social, political, and economic relationships that ensured survival.

Comparing the results of his archeological undertakings in the Caribbean and the Pacific, Professor Fitzpatrick will discuss what archeology tells us about seafaring strategies and the factors that led to successful voyages. He’ll describe how oceanographic and wind conditions determined access to resources, and he’ll show how computer simulations of seafaring are shedding light on the question of which islands were first reached. And he’ll discuss how what we’re learning about the paths of these past voyages can inform plans for future ones, into space.

The pandemic might have thwarted a lot of plans to visit the Caribbean’s islands, but this talk will let you be there in spirit. You're encouraged to pair your viewing with Caribbean food and drink that will let you make an island-themed night of it.

Profs & Pints Online: Retracing Ancient Caribbean Voyages