The emergence of village societies profoundly transformed social relations in every part of the world where such communities formed. Drawing on the latest archaeological and historical evidence, this volume explores the development of villages in eastern North America from the Late Archaic period to the eighteenth century.

While the patterns of habitation and development are similar throughout the Caribbean, there was also a great deal of diversity. The authors in this volume use innovative techniques and perspectives to reveal the stories of places and times where the usual rules did not always apply.

This book presents a major cultural phase that has been virtually overlooked in professional literature. The editors bring together discussions of recent research by themselves and others at Archaic shell-bearing sites in the western MCRV, combined with contemporary examinations of prior investigations, which until now have been difficult for scholars to access.