Several archaeological sites in the Amazonian Basin have preserved pottery artifacts, and in the Caribbean, the Arawak, or Taíno, developed a distinctive culture and art.

A. Amazonian Basin

Most Amazonian art was and continues to be made of perishable materials such as wood, feathers, and plant fibers.

The most important pre-Columbian ceramic remains from this region have been found in the Amazon River delta in Brazil. At Santarém (AD1250-1500) vessels with elaborate figurative modeling have been excavated. On Marajó Island, earth mounds dating from 1000 to 1250 have yielded intricately patterned, incised, and painted pottery, including enormous burial urns. Effigy pots of seated men were produced on Maraca Island.

B. Caribbean Area

Pre-Columbian artifacts of the Caribbean area mostly come from the Greater Antilles islands of Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic). The principal people to inhabit this area were the Arawak, who migrated from Venezuela's Orinoco River delta. Their arts, therefore, are closely related to those of northern South America.

Settling in Puerto Rico about AD200, the Arawak were known as the Taíno, and their culture continued until the Spanish conquest. The most characteristic Taíno objects are made of bone, wood, and stone. They include spatulas for inducing vomiting for religious purification; dujos, or carved wooden stools for chiefs or priests; and zemi, or triangular stones carved with human or animal features representing major natural spirits and deities. Pottery included incised pots with geometric designs and effigy vessels in human shapes.

The most monumental Taíno architectural complex is at Utuado, Puerto Rico. Ten squares are surrounded by incised stones. The site indicates that the Mesoamerican ceremonial ball game tlachtli had been introduced from the Mexican mainland.

This figure of a man with a bird face comes from the pre-Columbian Arawak culture of Jamaica. The carved and polished wooden figure is highly stylized and distinctive, bearing no resemblance to other pre-Columbian sculpture. It was probably meant to represent a deity of some kind. Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York