Engaging the Present by Uncovering the Past – Underwater Survey and the Legacy of Enslavement, Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Maritime Archeology of the Slave Trade: Past and Present Work, and Future Prospects", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Since 2015, SWP has developed a network of collaborators in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, devoted to exploring the history and legacies of slavery and freedom. From 2015-2017, NPS, as a partner of SWP, conducted surveys of submerged lands surrounding Buck Island Reef National Monument, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. This effort later expanded to a community archeology program at the site of the slave residences and activities at Christiansted National Historic Site. These surveys are part of a multi-year effort that combines underwater and terrestrial archeology with public engagement activities including educational and training programs, museum exhibits, professional internships, and archival research. This paper will highlight the efforts and results from the underwater survey at Buck Island that support ongoing efforts toward preserving, researching, and interpreting the important cultural heritage of the Caribbean related to histories and sites pertaining to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Maritime Archeology of the Slave Trade: Past and Present Work, and Future Prospects   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow