Mapping Sans-Souci: Geophysical Survey at the Palace of Henry Christophe, Haiti

Summary

The Royal Palace of Sans-Souci, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the town of Milot in northern Haiti, served as a central political space within the short-lived Kingdom of Haiti (1811-1820). Despite the critical importance this site holds for our understanding of state formation in the years following the Haitian revolution, we know precious little about the construction history of the site itself, which extended back into the Colonial Era. During the summer of 2015, archaeologists from the University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of Arkansas, collaborating with representatives of the Institut de Sauvegarde du Patrimoine National (ISPAN), initiated preliminary geophysical survey and archaeological excavation at Sans-Souci. This poster presents the preliminary results of a ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey conducted during this field season. The survey was successful in revealing features, including walls, terraces and other landscape modifications. These results provide a broader understanding of Sans-Souci’s built environment, and provide insight into which geophysical methods would be most suitable for investigations in the future.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage