Hunting and fishing are major activities. Arawaks…
1492 CE to 1503 CE
Arawaks hunt ducks, geese, parrots, iguanas, small rodents, and giant tree sloths.
Parrots and a species of mute dog are domesticated.
Most fishing, done by hand along the coast and in rivers, is for mollusks, lobsters, and turtles.
Bigger fish are caught with baskets, spears, hooks, and nets.
In some cases, fish are caught by attaching the hooks of sharpened sticks to remoras, small sucking fish that fasten themselves to larger sea creatures, such as sharks and turtles.
Food is prepared by baking on stones or barbecuing over an open fire, using peppers, herbs, and spices lavishly to both flavor and preserve the food.
In some places, beer is brewed from maize.
The descriptions of the first Europeans indicate that the food supply is sufficient and that in general the inhabitants are well fed—until the increased demand of the new immigrants and the dislocation created by their imported animals creates famine.