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the islands in immediate prehistoric times but the latter 
were rapidly encroaching upon their territory and threatened 
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their extinction at the period of discovery. Whether the 
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Arawacks were preceded by any other earlier race or stock 
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is still a question since no well Identified traces of such 
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anticedent population have been found . The entire 1 culture 
presents somewhat uniform characteristics and corresponds 0 
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more closely with the culture of South America than with tH%t 
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of Florida or Yucatan, the break between these later rbgiohs 
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and the islands being very pronounced. 
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Of the material evidences of culture the islands f^rniih 
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no architectural remains and few traces of .other works . Re lice 
of stone, baked clay, shell, and bone, ard, however plentiful 
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ana, widely distributed* The use of nietuib was apparently 
very limited. Mo very decided centers of culture have been ■) 
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observed although greater advancement s©b%S to have been made \ 
in Panto Domingo and for to Rico than elsewhere • Articles 
