ABSTRACT
Based on recent radiocarbon dates, the prehistory of Guyana may be broadly divided into three main periods. The first one is the Paleo-Indian period that dates back to as early as 12, 000 years ago, and perhaps much earlier, and is related to the end of the last great Ice Age. As modern conditions arose 7, 000 years ago, the second period, associated with the first Meso-Indian or Archaic hunter-gatherers, appeared on the north-west coastland and in the Rupununi savannah. The Holocene period is characterised by changing temperatures, shore line movements and the development of complex cultures. The coastal plain of north-western Guyana is characterised by a number of Early to Middle Holocene-age shell mounds. Phase two of the study will continue to focus on the identified sites and will attempt to evaluate seasonal exploitation of resource and population mobility as it related to environmental change and cultural adaptations along the north-western coast of Guyana.
