Slavery in the Dutch Caribbean: A Case for the Use of Qualitative Data in Sensitive Archaeological Contexts

Summary

Qualitative data are often overlooked in archaeological research in favour of quantitative data which can provide statistical results. However, there are many contexts where qualitative data (such as oral historical accounts) can provide valuable information on meaning and personal significance. This is beneficial in projects addressing topics such as inequality and colonialism. The author therefore presents qualitative data from her doctoral thesis in order to demonstrate the importance of this sensitive approach, which encourages archaeological research to have a positive social and political impact.

The research discussed here addresses the lifeways of enslaved individuals on the Dutch Caribbean islands of St Eustatius, St Maarten and Curaçao. It incorporates data from material culture, oral history, and osteology into a thematic analysis. Often used in the social sciences, this approach allows diverse datasets to be combined through their organisation into ‘themes’. Through this, the researcher gains an impression of the information that is meaningful and important for descriptive purposes.

The author encourages archaeologists to consider qualitative data in their own research, especially the utilisation of oral history interviews which promote community involvement and contribute to the decolonisation of the discipline.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20345