Lavoutte Ceramic People of St. Lucia

The Lavoutte assemblage at Cas-en-Bas sits within the Ceramic Period of St. Lucia (ca. 1000–1450 CE), a time when pottery-bearing peoples expanded across the Lesser Antilles. Archaeological data indicates distinct ceramic styles and coastal occupation layers at the Lavoutte site, consistent with a maritime-adapted lifeway. Radiocarbon determinations from associated contexts place human activity firmly in the late first and second millennia CE, although site-phase resolution remains limited.

Genetically, the samples (n = 12) recovered from Lavoutte reveal patterns typical of Indigenous American populations. Y-chromosome lineage Q appears in six individuals, a signature often linked to pre-contact Native American paternal ancestry across the Americas. Maternal lineages are diverse — A2, B2e, D1 and C/C1c occur among the tested individuals — echoing widespread continental founder lineages that reached the Caribbean via South American trajectories. Together, the archaeological and genetic signatures support a narrative of south-to-north dispersals of ceramic-using peoples, adaptation to island environments, and localized population differentiation.

Caveats: the sample set is modest and localized to Cas-en-Bas; therefore hypotheses about island-wide origins, timing of arrival, and the full spectrum of cultural interaction should be treated cautiously pending broader regional sampling.

Ancient DNA from 12 individuals at Lavoutte provides a rare genetic window into St. Lucia's Ceramic Period inhabitants. Y-DNA haplogroup Q is present in six tested individuals — a lineage widely detected among Indigenous peoples across North, Central, and South America and commonly interpreted as a marker of pre-contact paternal ancestry in the Caribbean. The observed concentration of Q suggests a continuity of male-line ancestry linked to broader Americas dispersals, though the absence of other Y-lineages may reflect small sample size or male-biased sampling.

Mitochondrial DNA among the assemblage exhibits maternal diversity: A2 (3 individuals), B2e (3), D1 (2), C (2), and C1c (1). These haplogroups are foundational Native American maternal lineages and are consistent with origins traced to northern South America or adjacent mainland regions that supplied migrants to the islands. Notably, the mtDNA counts account for 11 of 12 samples; one individual yielded either unassigned or low-coverage mitochondrial data, underscoring preservation limits. Population-level inferences — such as sex-biased migration, kin structure, or effective population size — remain preliminary given the modest and site-specific sample. Broader geographic sampling and higher-coverage genomes would better resolve migration routes, admixture events, and demographic shifts.