ABSTRACT
Gilliland (1975) recorded palm fiber cords and netting among the artifacts on the preColumbian site at Marco Island that had been used by Glades people. That particular site probably consisted of cords from Sabal palmetto, as that was the common palm in the region. In the Florida Keys and Caribbean, Thrinax was more common and the preferred species. As late as Vignoles ([1823] 1977) and Williams ([1837] 1962), people in the West Indies were still using palm fibers for ropes. As the common names suggest, the leaves of Thrinax were preferred for thatching where they existed. Probably, it was at least partly leaves of Thrinax that were used by the people on Matacumbe to make the women’s shawls that Fontaneda described (see Sabal).
