St Croix Archaeological Field School
The Estate Little Princess Maritime and Terrestrial Archaeology Field School is an award-winning collaboration between a number of collaborators including the Slave Wrecks Project, Society of Black Archaeologists, Diving with a Purpose, Junior Scientists in the Sea, Crucian Heritage and Nature Tourism (CHANT), the Caribbean Center for Boys and Girls, the Nature Conservancy, University of the Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center, and various community collaborators. Working together, the project seeks to train grade school-aged students in terrestrial and maritime archaeological practice while also investigating the archaeology of Danish slavery in the Virgin Islands.
Video by Dr. Alicia Odewale.
Terrestrial Archaeology
Ongoing excavations at the Estate Little Princess focus on the lives of enslaved Africans who lived and labored on the eighteenth-century sugar plantation. Students from the Caribbean Center for Boys and Girls engage in one week of training in excavation, analysis, and oral history methods. Additionally, we host students and train students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities in archaeological methods.
Maritime Archaeology
Junior Scientists in the Sea, in collaboration with Cane Bay Dive Shop and the Caribbean Center for Boys and Girls, certified 12 young Crucians as PADI Open Water SCUBA divers. Further training in underwater archaeology will be provided by Diving with A Purpose, a non-profit underwater heritage organization with a proven track record of training underwater archaeology advocates.
Heritage Conservation
The next phase of the project will involve training in Coral Reef Restoration and Underwater Archaeology in collaboration with members of The Nature Conservancy and Diving with a Purpose. We hope to use these coral reef restoration efforts to mitigate the destructive impact archaeology has on the natural environment, while also training future heritage stewards of tomorrow.
In the News...
“Unearthing the Lives of Enslaved Africans.” Breaking Green Ceilings Podcast. Episode 18. June 1, 2020.
“In the Caribbean, what is the relationship between ecology and the archaeology of slavery?” The Arch and Anth Podcast. Episode 110. April 8, 2020.
“ArcheoThursday Webinar: Sustainable Archaeology The Estate Little Princess.” w/ Dr. Ayana Flewellen. National Park Service. December 18, 2019.
Caribbean Excavation Offers Intimate Look at the Lives of Enslaved Africans. Science Magazine. 7 November 2019.
Watch Archaeologists Reflect on Unearthing the Lives of Enslaved Africans. Science Magazine. 22 November 2019.
“Pirates.” Explained. Season 2, Episode 06. Netflix. 31 October 2019.
These Divers Search for Slave Shipwrecks and Discover Their Ancestors | National Geographic. 18 August 2019.
Ancient Footprints – Lots of Archeology Happening on St. Croix, The St. Thomas Source, July 22, 2019
Shipwrecks, Archeological Sites Give Testimony to Lives of St. Croix’s Enslaved Ancestors, The St. John Source, July 16, 2019
Archaeology Open House Brings the Past to Life, The St. Croix Source, July 15, 2019
Aspiring Archaeologists Get Hands-on Experience in Haiti and St. Croix, August 9, 2018
International Association for Caribbean Archeology Holds Conference on St. Croix, July 25, 2017
Junior Scientists in the Sea Program Introduced on St. Croix, July 11, 2017
Archaeologist Dig Working with St. Croix Students, June 28, 2017
Crucian Youth Earn Certification as Divers by Jr. Scientists in the Sea, June 20, 2017