Ritual and Resistance at Trents Cave, Barbados
Author(s): Douglas Armstrong
Year: 2018
Summary
An overview of religious practice and resistance reflected in the material record of Trents Cave, Barbados. The cave site is located at the bottom of a gully located between the enslaved laborer settlement and the planter’s residence at Trents Plantation. The findings suggest recurrent use of the site by persons of African descent (circa 1750s through the 1850s) for ritual, or specialized purposes, associated with iron and steel. The distinctive pattern of deposition of key artifacts including blades, reground iron daggers, and grinding stones, and the absence of artifacts like ceramics and glass suggest repeated use for Barbadian based and African rooted practices related to ritual, beliefs, and resistance. Presentation includes contextual background for the site including LiDAR mapping, excavation, data, and a discussion of possible links to African based religious practice.
Cite this Record
Ritual and Resistance at Trents Cave, Barbados. Douglas Armstrong. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441764)
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Keywords
General
African
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Barbadian
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Cave
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Resistance
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Ritual
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
18th-19th century
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 904