Forgotten Colony: A proposal for historical archaeology in the Dutch colony of Essequibo, Guyana

Dutch colonial history and its past with slavery is a contentious topic in the Netherlands. A problem in the national debate is the general lack of knowledge about the Dutch exploits. In this thesis, I examine the possibility for research into the often forgotten Zeelandic colony of Essequibo, through the use of historical archaeology. Historical archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, created to examine the development of the modern world. Since the 1990s, it has shifted to become a critical subfield, challenging traditional historical narratives and exploring systems and structures from a bottom-up perspective. In the Caribbean, this subfield has been used successfully to understand the role and agency of enslaved Africans at the Galways plantation in Montserrat, by surveying and excavating the plantation through close collaboration with the descendants and local inhabitants. In St. Eustatius, another form of historical archaeology is used to map and document the many colonial...Show moreDutch colonial history and its past with slavery is a contentious topic in the Netherlands. A problem in the national debate is the general lack of knowledge about the Dutch exploits. In this thesis, I examine the possibility for research into the often forgotten Zeelandic colony of Essequibo, through the use of historical archaeology. Historical archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, created to examine the development of the modern world. Since the 1990s, it has shifted to become a critical subfield, challenging traditional historical narratives and exploring systems and structures from a bottom-up perspective. In the Caribbean, this subfield has been used successfully to understand the role and agency of enslaved Africans at the Galways plantation in Montserrat, by surveying and excavating the plantation through close collaboration with the descendants and local inhabitants. In St. Eustatius, another form of historical archaeology is used to map and document the many colonial buildings on the island, through careful and critical use of its limited historical documentation. These case studies provide useful information on how historical archaeology can be used to investigate the Essequibo colony in Guyana. Essequibo, like St. Eustatius, was a Dutch colony that, through its governmental structure and capture by the British, does not provide a lot of historical documentation. Historical archaeology can therefore be used to fill this gap of knowledge, while simultaneously offering a broader perspective on Dutch colonialism and slavery in this forgotten and neglected colony.Show less

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Forgotten Colony: A proposal for historical archaeology in the Dutch colony of Essequibo, Guyana