Archaeology of Resistance? Barbuda in the Aftermath of Hurricane Irma

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Barbuda, a small island in the Lesser Antilles, was directly hit by mega storm, Hurricane Irma, in September of 2017. 90-95% of the modern structures were either completely destroyed or lost their roofs, windows and doors. Additionally, there was tremendous loss to both intangible cultural heritage and heritage sites. Erosion in coastal areas decimated more than 25 feet of coastal archaeological sites. Historic sites that survived more than 200 years lay in collapsed ruins. While Barbudans were forcibly evacuated the day after the storm, stunned, trying to take in all the loss and determining ways to move forward, the central government in Antigua began around the clock excavation for a large airport. With no protocols for a proper Environmental Impact Assessment, prime agricultural land, pristine protected forest, watersheds and wetlands, along with archaeological sites, fell victim to misplaced agendas that prioritized uninformed capitalist ventures instead of helping local recovery. We will take a critical look at the state of archaeological sites and the place of heritage and heritage sites in an area of heightened political tensions and conflicting agendas towards development.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 25778