The Ortoiroid culture is a preceramic culture of the Caribbean Sea, generally dated concurrent to and after the Casimiroid culture, and thought to have resulted from people migrating north from South America.
The people were archaic hunters and gatherers who depended extensively on shell fish and left extensive shell middens. Dates for the Ortoiroid culture are 6,900 to 1,800 years ago, at sites such as the Angostura site on Puerto Rico, and the Plum Piece site on Saba Island.
Sources
This article is a part of the About.com Guide to Archaic Period, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Hofman, Corinne L. and Menno L. P. Hoogland 2003 Plum Piece Evidence for Archaic Seasonal Occupation on Saba, Northern Lesser Antilles around 3300 BP. Journal of Caribbean Archaeology 4 12-27.
