Abstract
Ships have played an important role in the development of human history, transporting people and cargoes into ever-increasing spheres of interaction. Data extracted from vernacular watercraft in the archaeological record can be used to develop and modify models of past human behavior. Theoretical constructs that relate economics, environment, and cultural systems can be used to relate particular data extracted from shipwreck sites to broader questions of human culture. Specifically, the relationship between cultural ecology and ship design demonstrates the dynamic nature of ships as an indicator of adaptive social processes. Jamaica sloops from the colonial Caribbean are one example of vernacular ships where the interactive variables exerting pressure on technological systems demonstrate the manner in which ships reflect adaptations to new environments.
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Evans, A.M. (2016). Improvise, Adapt, Overcome: Vernacular Boats as Environmental Adaptations. In: Evans, A. (eds) The Archaeology of Vernacular Watercraft. When the Land Meets the Sea. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3563-5_2
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