Haiti (Other Keyword)
1-6 (6 Records)
Haitian Vodou is a syncretic religion that combines elements of West African beliefs and indigenous Taino culture overlaid onto a rigid framework of forced Catholicism. One aspect of the religion that has not been investigated is the modern use of caves as a specialized local for various types of rituals, each having a specific purpose. This paper will discuss the use of both ethnographic and archaeological investigative techniques to differentiate the various purposes of cave ceremonies and...
Keepers of the Cave: The Impact Caretakers Have on the Archaeological Record. (2016)
Caretakers, whether self-appointed or formally selected, have an immense impact on the distribution of material remains at sacred sites in modern day Haiti. This paper examines the ritual use of four caves in Haiti and the effects that four different caretakers have had on the ritual remains left behind after Vodou ceremonies have taken place. These cave/caretaker combinations include publicly accessed caves that are cared for by a cadre of self-appointed homeless men, a cave in private hands...
The Rock Art of Haitian Vodou (2017)
This research is part of a larger ethno-archaeological investigation of the use of caves in modern Haitian Vodou rituals in Northern Haiti. This paper explores the modern rock art left in the caves as a result of Vodou ceremonies, in particular paint and veve (veve are symbols drawn out with cornstarch used to call various spirits to ceremonies, and are an intrinsic part of Vodou). The art in question included both permanent and ephemeral works, ranging from simple graffiti to caves painted...
Searching For Slavery In Saint Domingue. (2017)
Saint Domingue was the most important European colony of the Caribbean region, producing vast amounts of wealth through the labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants. It was also the setting of the only large scale slave revolt that succeeded in overturning the slavery system. In spite of this importance to Atlantic studies, African Diaspora studies, and historical archaeology, very little substantive research has been conducted on sites associated with the dwelling places of the...
Seeking Out Slavery in Colonial Saint Domingue (Haiti) (2017)
Saint Domingue was the most important European colony of the Caribbean region, producing vast amounts of wealth through the labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants. It was also the setting of the only large scale slave revolt that succeeded in overturning the slavery system. In spite of this importance to Atlantic studies, African Diaspora studies, and historical archaeology, very little substantive research has been conducted on sites associated with the dwelling places of the enslaved...
The Three Phases of Sans Souci: Geophysical Survey and Archaeological Testing at the Palace of Henry Christophe, Haiti (2016)
The royal palace of Sans Souci anchored elite attempts to inculcate royal power and authority in the Kingdom of Haiti, a fledgling state that emerged out of the turmoil of the Haitian Revolution. Despite the role this site has played in the production of historical memory in Haiti, negligible archaeological work has been carried out to study building chronology and the organization of space at Sans Souci. In the summer of 2015, an international team from the University of California, Santa Cruz,...