Land use and evolution of Castillo San Felipe del Morro's Esplanade

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Military Sites Archaeology in the Caribbean: Studies of Colonialism, Globalization, and Multicultural Communities" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Construction of Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico began in 1539 and completed by the end of the eighteenth century. This massive fortification, located on the northwestern side of the islet, safeguards the entrance to the bay, and still stands a symbol of the Spanish defensive system. It is part of the San Juan National Historic Site (National Park Service), listed the National Register of Historic Places, and included in the declaration of La Fortaleza and San Juan National Historic Site in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This presentation explores the archaeological potential of El Morro’s esplanade, an imposing space strongly connected to the local collective memory, by outlining its use and evolution through the integration of documentary data.  The aim is to exalt its importance both to military and civilian activities, incorporate this data to our current understanding of the site, and develop future research projects.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Military Sites Archaeology in the Caribbean: Studies of Colonialism, Globalization, and Multicultural Communities   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 438