Archaeologies of Slavery and Freedom in the Caribbean
Archaeologies of Slavery and Freedom in the Caribbean
Exploring the Spaces in Between
“We are reminded that the Caribbean was a more complicated place than we usually imagine.”—Kenneth G. Kelly, coeditor of French Colonial Archaeology in the Southeast and Caribbean
Caribbean plantations and the forces that shaped them—slavery, sugar, capitalism, and the tropical, sometimes deadly environment—have been studied extensively. This volume turns the focus to the places and times where the rules of the plantation system did not always apply, including the interstitial spaces that linked enslaved Africans with their neighbors at other plantations. The essays also explore the lives of “poor whites,” Afro-descendant members of military garrisons, and free people of color, demonstrating that binary models of black slaves and white planters do not fully encompass the diversity of identities before and after emancipation. Employing innovative research tools and integrating data from Dominica, St. Lucia, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Barbados, Nevis, Montserrat, and the British Virgin Islands, these essays offer a deeper understanding of the complex world within and beyond the sprawling sugar estates.
Contributors: Hayden F. Bassett | Lynsey A. Bates | Zachary J.M. Beier | Helen C. Blouet | John M. Chenoweth | John F. Cherry | James A. Delle | Kristen R. Fellows | Khadene K. Harris | Stephan T. Lenik | Marco Meniketti | Matthew C. Reilly | Krysta Ryzewski | Jane I. Seiter | Frederick H. Smith | Laurie A. Wilkie
A volume in the Florida Museum of Natural History: Ripley P. Bullen Series
Highlights sites, themes, and time periods that have often been overlooked by historical archaeologists, and looks particularly at how people maintained space within the oppressive structures of slavery and the relative freedom of post-slavery life in the Caribbean.'—American Antiquity 'This book marks an important move towards a better understanding of the complexities of Caribbean historical archaeology.'—Cambridge Archaeological Journal 'Expose[s] the existence of a parallel local economy alongside the plantation export economy . . . [and] shows how historical archaeologists must deal with incomplete records and inadequate documentation.'—Choice 'Encapsulates the lived experiences of enslaved Africans through a postcolonial and landscape perspective, illuminating new directions for future research of previously overlooked and understudied archaeological assemblages.'—Anthropology Book Forum ‘Some of the lesser known aspects of human bondage are revealed in this new volume, which offers more nuanced and alternative views of slavery and freedom in the region. . . . [and] paves the way for archaeologists to rethink old questions and seek alternative avenues of research in exciting new ways.’—Society for Historical Archaeology
Lynsey A. Bates is an archaeological analyst for the Digital Archaeological Archive of Comparative Slavery (DAACS). John M. Chenoweth is assistant professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. James A. Delle, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Shippensburg University, is the editor of The Limits of Tyranny.
