Fluid Persistence: The Heritage Matters and Watery Wellness of the Bath Spring and Stream, Nevis

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Rethinking Persistent Places: Relationships, Atmospheres, and Affects" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The volcanic waters of the Bath Spring on Nevis flow downstream and enter Gallows Bay in the Caribbean Sea, a fluid persistence that has shaped and been shaped by the differently lived archaeologies along its waterscape before and through local becomings of western colonialism, imperialism and capitalism. Their ascribed curative qualities have shaped the heritage of these waters to that of a shared tradition of health and wellness. Today this watery heritage continues to enmesh Nevisians and visitors alike who daily come to the hot springs to cure ailments, restore vitality, and participate in the social custom of bathing and being Nevisian. But these waters are also continually transforming, as differing vibrancies of this watery wellness are prioritized by distinct assemblages of colonizer, enslaved, emancipated, and disenfranchised Nevisians, foreigners and tourists, all contesting and remaking the why and what for of this place. How the Bath waters have been differently lived and understood reveals much about the fluid persistence to this heritage, especially given ongoing efforts by the St. Kitts Nevis government to articulate an Outstanding Universal Value for these waters as part of their effort in securing a World Heritage inscription.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Rethinking Persistent Places: Relationships, Atmospheres, and Affects   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38920.0