Conference Agenda

Over the last 20 years, archaeological research in Barbuda has partnered with the descendant and resident community on the island to register and study their tangible and intangible cultural heritage. While the colonial machinery shaped and transformed Barbudan landscapes, introducing deer, creating hunting gardens, and displaying and re-inventing British identity through architecture and distribution of buildings; the Afro-indigenous identity of Barbudans developed strategies of resistance and redefinition, creating their own means of identification in relationship with the land. In contrast to other Caribbean Islands, Barbuda was never a sugar plantation. This reality requires us to think about the archaeological record and the dynamics of power under a different, distinctly Barbudan, light. From the vantage point of two decades of constant and detailed research, in this presentation we think about landscapes of power and human ecodynamics to understand the clashing identity and power discourses that characterize Barbudan society today.

During Barbuda’s colonial period, the Codrington family maintained an exclusive lease over the island. It would be during this lease that a series of coastal fortifications were established on the land. Sites such as Gun Shop Cliff, the Castle Hill Ruins Complex, and Martello tower are just a few of many structures still visible today. This paper will utilize new and existing archaeological and archival data to understand the sequence of Barbuda’s fortification, while examining the purpose of these structures. Fortifications can play an important role in shaping the power dynamics of a landscape; this paper will study how Barbuda’s fortifications may have maintained these power dynamics and their influence on the relationship of the enslaved to the land and to each other.

Coastal Cultural resources in Barbuda face imminent danger from climate change and real estate development. This presentation demonstrates how photogrammetry serves as a vital tool for documenting at-risk cultural heritage at Castle Hill. By integrating photogrammetry for data collection, researchers can overcome challenges of accessibility and extreme weather conditions, enabling a thorough examination of an area. This contribution enhances Barbuda’s archaeological map story, providing deeper insights into its historical landscape, environment, and interactions with the afro-indigenous population. Photogrammetry offers invaluable perspective on the historical utilization of the landscape and structures over time, facilitating the comprehension of Barbuda’s diverse cultural heritage.

The people of Barbuda have long maintained a profound connection with their land. The island’s ecological diversity embodies the essence of local culture and heritage. The historical processes shaping Barbuda’s present-day ecological reality are deeply intertwined with the arrival of Indigenous peoples and, later, the European invasion, which brought both the forced transportation of enslaved people and the simultaneous introduction of new vegetation and animals. Dry stone walls once demarcated Codrington village, segregating people, domesticated livestock, agricultural fields, and wildlife. However, as the colonial institutions crumbled, so did these barriers, fostering a reciprocal relationship with the land. This dynamic interplay between people and their environment sustains the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) central to Barbudan culture. Now, the impacts of climate change pose a serious threat not only to the tangible cultural heritage of the island but also to the landscapes themselves, which embodies a biotic expression of Barbudan identity.

Universities and museums have been called upon to reevaluate the necessity of memorials to figures who profited from slavery. In many cases, institutions benefitted from these profits, which were earned through the exploitation of enslaved people, thanks to the charitable donations of their benefactors. One such benefactor, Christopher Codrington III inherited land and power in the late 17th-century Lesser Antilles and became the patriarch of a family with political and economic connections across the UK, Barbados, Antigua, and Barbuda. The Codrington legacy still exists at Oxford University, Betty’s Hope Estate - Antigua, Codrington College - Barbados, and Codrington Village - Barbuda. This paper examines the existing interpretations of these memorials and how these institutions are in dialogue with the heritage sector, advocacy groups, descendent communities, and academia to tell a story of shared heritage and history from new perspectives.

The Barbudian community has maintained a profound and multi-faceted relationship with its land for generations, encapsulated in their concept of "living from the land." This connection is notably expressed through traditional practices such as camping in caves, rock shelters, and cabins along the coast. These communal activities, centered around sharing, celebration, and gathering, are fundamental to preserving Barbudian culture and fostering a sense of community. The consumption of marine and terrestrial resources, along with various beverages, forms a central aspect of these practices, leaving discernible archaeological traces in the form of small dumpsites across the territory.

This paper examines contemporary archaeological findings at camping sites, highlighting distinctive traces and emphasizing the significance of transcending the notion of waste to uncover cultural practices and the community's deep-rooted ties to the land.