The 7,000-Year-Old Secret: Why History Erased the First Caribbean Empire episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 25, 2026 · 8 MIN

The 7,000-Year-Old Secret: Why History Erased the First Caribbean Empire

from History of the Caribbeans | Exploring Resilience and Culture · host history experts | Joe & Kevin

Seven thousand years ago, a woman was buried in the salt of Trinidad with an object that shouldn't exist. We’ve been told the history of the Caribbean began with "discovery," but the archaeological record tells a much darker, more sophisticated story. From the massive industrial shell-processing plants of Curacao to a 3,000-mile trade link with ancient Mexico, we are revealing the lost "Lithic Revolution" that shaped the archipelago long before the Arawak or the Spanish.

Seven thousand years ago, a woman was buried in the salt of Trinidad with an object that shouldn't exist. We’ve been told the history of the Caribbean began with "discovery," but the archaeological record tells a much darker, more sophisticated story. From the massive industrial shell-processing plants of Curacao to a 3,000-mile trade link with ancient Mexico, we are revealing the lost "Lithic Revolution" that shaped the archipelago long before the Arawak or the Spanish.

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The 7,000-Year-Old Secret: Why History Erased the First Caribbean Empire

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This episode was published on March 25, 2026.

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Seven thousand years ago, a woman was buried in the salt of Trinidad with an object that shouldn't exist. We’ve been told the history of the Caribbean began with "discovery," but the archaeological record tells a much darker, more sophisticated...

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