"I Don't Know Where I'm a-Gonna Go When the Volcano Blow": Resettlement, Diaspora, and the Landscapes of Montserrat’s Volcanic Exclusion Zone

Summary

On July 18th, 1995, after centuries of relative quiet, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano suddenly and violently sprang to life. The months that followed saw a series of evacuations of the southern portions of the island due to the volcanic threat, rendering this landscape—including the capital town of Plymouth—an abandoned 'Exclusion Zone'. By 2000, the majority of the island's population had left more or less permanently, many for the United Kingdom. Those who stayed faced the challenge of rebuilding the island and adjusting to life in resettlement communities. This paper investigates how the landscapes of the Exclusion Zone, the northern 'Safe Zone', and the liminal area between them have come to reflect different aspects of the ongoing volcanic risk. Furthermore, it explores how the volcanic diaspora has affected the identity of Montserratian communities that moved to the north of the island and those that settled farther afield.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeologies of Diaspora and Dispersal   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 821