"Next to the Sea are Many Fine Cannon": Archaeology of the Original English Trading Center in the Caribbean

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In 1624-25, Thomas Warner established an English colony on St. Kitts. Concurrently, French brigantines anchored there. The settlers were resisted by indigenous Caribs, but joined forces to crush native uprisings. France occupied both northern and southern quarters of the island; England controlled the central half. Fig Tree (French) and Sandy Point (English) Towns shared Sandy Point Bay for inter-island trade and as a European entrepôt. Our coordinated underwater and coastal surveys identified cultural resources in port, anchorage, beach, and fortification zones. Defenses from sea level to 800 foot elevation offered wide ranges for cannon fire against naval or infantry attacks. The cliffside Charles Fort, erected in 1670, was soon reinforced by the towering Brimstone Hill Fortress. English Fort Hamilton was based on Downing Street, where African slaves were disembarked and goods cleared customs before transfer to merchant warehouses. A low-lying Fort Charles guarded Fig Tree. Minor batteries were positioned shoreward.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow