Provisioning Antigua and Beyond: How Herding and Farming Transformed Barbuda, West Indies

Summary

The island of Barbuda was farmed by English settlers from the 1660s onwards. The Codrington family of England held the lease to the island from the 1680s-1870, and they introduced a variety of plant and animal species, some of which continue to thrive on the island. Sugar cane was never grown on this dry, low lying island and instead, lime and charcoal were produced along with other subsistence crops for export. Herding became an important part of the economy and, as a result, water management transformed elements of the landscape which continue to be used by the residents of the village of Codrington. Archaeological surveys and intermittent excavations, combined with recent environmental and palaeoecological analyses suggest the extent of Barbuda’s transformation since the 17th century. Results of recent research will be discussed alongside an examination of current environmental challenges faced by the local population.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• The Environmental Legacies of Colonialism in the Neotropics

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