Résumé
The colonisation of oceanic archipelagos by non-flying vertebrates is limited by the absence of a land bridge linking these islands to the continent. However, in the Lesser Antilles archipelago, rodent bones have been identified on archaeological sites dated to the Ceramic Age (500 BCE-1500 CE). In particular, two of these rodents, the rice rats (Oryzomyini tribe) and the agoutis (Dasyprocta), dominate these assemblages and display evidence of human consumption. While agoutis are now rare in the Lesser Antilles, the Oryzomyini have completely disappeared since the end of the 19th century. Identifying the diversity of these groups and unravelling their evolution over time, during the pre-Columbian periods, are therefore two bioarchaeological challenges necessary for a better understanding of the lifestyles of past human societies in the archipelago. Indeed, rodents are very good proxies for studying human groups: movements and mobility of populations, synanthropy or taming, hunting and cooking practices, etc. Moreover, islands are very interesting special laboratories for studying the evolution of biodiversity over time. These more or less closed geographical areas have fragile ecosystems that respond quickly and strongly to any environmental disturbance caused by human populations. A total of 30885 rodent bones from 10 islands of the Antillean archipelago, of which 1668 remains were measured, were initially identified by the zooarchaeological study of faunal assemblages from 65 archaeological sites. In addition, the cranial remains (teeth and/or mandibles) of 1588 rice rats and 205 agoutis from 48 archaeological sites of the Ceramic Age, spread over 14 islands, were recorded. Supplemented by 97 specimens from heritage collections (MNHN, FLMNH and AASPE), the study of the different anatomical elements of these rodents performed in this research, by using a combination of methodological approaches (zooarchaeology, traditional morphometry and geometric morphometry), made it possible to bring new elements on the understanding of the archaeo-biogeographical dynamics of these rodents and their relations with pre-Columbian ceramic societies. The data obtained show the importance of rice rats and agoutis in the diet of these human groups throughout the chronology. These rodents were the object of different culinary practices, symptomatic of their respective places in the daily and symbolic spheres. Furthermore, the evidence of different morphological groups, between islands (Oryzomyini) or between continental and island populations (Dasyprocta), would favour the hypothesis of natural dispersal and limited displacement by human societies. In this respect, the patterns of diversity seem to be associated with natural factors (geographical isolation in relation to the geological history and eustatic variations since the Miocene), taking into account the ecological and biological adaptation capacities of these taxa, and marking the impact of an insular environment. These results highlight the interest of continuing the search for material and conducting transdisciplinary studies in order to further reconstruct the biological evolution of rodents in the Lesser Antilles and their cultural importance for past human societies.