Benoit Berard's study aims to identify and characterise the earliest agricultural occupations of the Antillean Islands, taking Martinique as his main case study. Essentially a collation and synthesis of old and new data gained through recent fieldwork, he examines the Vive complex which characterises the early phase of agricultural settlement on the island. A detailed examination of ceramic and lithic evidence succeeds his discussion of Huecoid and Saladoid cultures, dating evidence, the island environment, management of island resources, spatial organisation of settlements and long-distnace exchange. French text; English abstract; short Spanish summary.