Community-Based Archaeology in the Bahamas: Linking Landscape and Memory

Summary

In 1871, the last owner of the Millars Plantation Estate on Eleuthera, Bahamas left a portion of the former plantation acreage to the descendants of her former slaves and servants. In the intervening 175 years since emancipation in the Bahamas and the 125 years since the property transferred to "generation land", south Eleuthera has experienced a series of economic transformations and demographic transitions. Despite these changes, the Millars descendant community maintains their connection to the land and their ancestral heritage to this space. By collaborating with local island institutions and community members, this research has revealed the intimate connection between memory and landscape in south Eleuthera, and led to new directions for archaeological research. This paper presents findings from the past 5 years, demonstrating how ethnographic methods and a community- based framework can inform archaeological insights on memory, landscape and community in the Caribbean.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Memory in Community-Based Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 698