In the heart of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic and Haiti occupy opposite ends of what before Columbus’s arrival in 1492 was known as Quizqueia. What has become a sun-drenched destination for...Show moreIn the heart of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic and Haiti occupy opposite ends of what before Columbus’s arrival in 1492 was known as Quizqueia. What has become a sun-drenched destination for globetrotting travelers, news of the harsh human rights violations in the capital and the border areas mostly goes unnoticed by many. The current humanitarian crisis is the result of a deep-rooted historical and cultural conflict pestering the two island nations ever since the arrival of the European conquistadores. The vast majority of subsequent Dominican and Haitian recorded history has been characterized by foreign domination, political turbulence and chaos-inflicting dictatorships. The native peoples of the Arawak and Taíno tribes were soon decimated by Spanish colonization and its coercive implications. Populated mainly by Spanish and French colonists and later African slaves, colonial era struggles and territory disputes have developed into nearly constant conflict between Dominican and Haitian governments. In recent years, they have culminated in a controversial Dominican Constitutional Court ruling essentially stripping citizenship from all immigrants born to undocumented parents since 1929. As a result, four generations of supposed illegal Haitian and Dominican-born Haitian immigrants are left in a worrisome legal limbo. Apart from transportation to the newly built “Welcome Centers” in the border areas, these stateless people are left in social isolation without any rights and have to fear forcible removals that take place on a constant and ongoing basis (Abiu Lopez n.p.). Amnesty International, the UN Human Rights Council and online petitions call for international intervention in stopping arbitrary deportation and racial profiling (Mathurin n.p.). More specifically, pressure is put on the U.S. government to employ its hegemonic influence to alleviate the tense political and social situation in its Caribbean backyard. Those requesting Washington’s support seem to forget its controversial role in a not so distant past. Mostly through political and economic relations, the White House has employed a vast array of foreign policy measures towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti. One of these was having the back of what may have been one of the most murderous dictators of the Americas. The U.S. both publicly and privately supported the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo throughout the Eisenhower and Kennedy administration until 1961, who developed a nationalist idea of antihaitianismo: a policy of racial discrimination and prosecution towards black inhabitants. Vestiges of this institutionalization of anti-Haitian sentiment still remain in today’s Dominican political culture and greatly backfire on the humanitarian crisis at hand.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to depict how individual merchants organized both Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean trade in Willemstad from circa 1730 until 1790. Rather than emphasizing the role of the...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to depict how individual merchants organized both Trans-Atlantic and Caribbean trade in Willemstad from circa 1730 until 1790. Rather than emphasizing the role of the Jewish-Caribbean diaspora, this study argues that Willemstad was a space of cross-cultural encounters. The social policies of this free port attracted many settlers to its community, including English, Spaniards and Frenchmen. These middleman were vital in sustaining trading relations between Curaçao and its most important trading partners. Curaçao’s economic history also challenges our understanding of the dynamics between metropolitan control and independency of the periphery. It's Trans-Atlantic merchants increasingly traded with Atlantic destinations beyond the Dutch empire and local merchants cooperated closely with state-officials of other empires.Show less
This thesis focuses on the topic that certain museums in Britain harbor collections of Trinidadian artifacts which exist in a significant quantity. These could further substantial research yet many...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the topic that certain museums in Britain harbor collections of Trinidadian artifacts which exist in a significant quantity. These could further substantial research yet many are hidden from the public eye or research access. I present a summary of these artifacts within an accessible database and show, to the most accurate degree possible, the significance of their acquisition in a colonial palimpsest. I argue that, in retrospect, although some acquisitions were as a result of negative colonial activities in the Caribbean, the majority were acquired through the efforts of certain individuals to preserve Trinidad’s archaeological heritage. Through this information and through further contextual research I attempt to create a discourse between the object information and contextual background and prove these artifacts need further attention and can have a noteworthy contribution to the cultural heritage of Trinidadians and indigenous communities today.Show less
This thesis analyses the implementation of the Malta Convention in the European overseas countries and territories in the Caribbean. The European overseas countries and territories in the Caribbean...Show moreThis thesis analyses the implementation of the Malta Convention in the European overseas countries and territories in the Caribbean. The European overseas countries and territories in the Caribbean are a handful of islands still legally connected to either France, the Kingdom of the Netherland, or the United Kingdom. These islands have different constitutional relations with Europe and often the European nation is responsible for the signing of international conventions. One of these conventions is the European Convention on the protection of Archaeological heritage (revised) from the Council of Europe (Valletta 1992). This convention has a large impact on the archaeological heritage management in Europe. Important aspects of the Malta Convention are placing archaeology in the urban planning process, in situ preservation, financing of archaeological work (which has resulted in the developer pays principle); it also focuses on public outreach, scientific collaboration, and the prevention of illicit circulation of archaeological elements. The aim of the Malta Convention is “to protect the archaeological heritage as a source of the European collective memory..” (Malta Convention, Article 1.1). This raises the question of how well this convention could be applied to another context, such as the Caribbean. To analyse how the Malta Convention applies to the OCTs in the Caribbean, the legislation of the islands has firstly been analysed. Are the concepts of the Malta Convention present in the legislation? And secondly, is what is written in the legislation also executed on the islands? The effects of the Malta Convention on the daily basis of archaeological heritage management has been analysed through interviews with archaeologist working in the region.Show less
This Master thesis on archaeology and cultural heritage management of the Caribbean and Amazonia was written at the University of Leiden, Faculty of Archaeology. The special emphasis in this...Show moreThis Master thesis on archaeology and cultural heritage management of the Caribbean and Amazonia was written at the University of Leiden, Faculty of Archaeology. The special emphasis in this research is on finding out which role the Amerindian past and archaeology play in a Surinamese image of the past. The research design in the first place needed to reveal the past perception of individual people with a Surinamese Caribbean background. The interviewees who participated in this research however were Surinamese migrants who are living since many years in the Netherlands. The approach taken to reveal the past emphasis of individuals from the Surinamese community was through holding semi structured open interviews. The Surinamese community in the context of this research consists of groups of people that share their experience and memory on Suriname within communication, both in the Netherlands and their mother-country. It is within this community that an image of the Surinamese past is being constructed. A key note to the research is that the past is a present construct. From this point of departure multiple pasts do exist. People in their own diversity, within different environments, have to deal with personal socio-cultural realities. This implicates that a meaningful past for Surinamese people needs to be constructed from their individual and community perspectives. This research applied insights from memory theory, archaeological theory, heritage theory and a more anthropological example to show that such a construct asks for people’s balanced historical involvement and community concern. Community concern demands reciprocal involvement that should accomplish mutual understanding. The goal of this thesis is to show that archaeology can be a tool in accomplishing shared understanding and concern from doing research after past happenings and cultural environments. The thesis further advocates engaged archaeology as a tool to create shared understanding. Engaged archaeology does not only imply that an archaeologist should listen to society and people’s concern in order to find topics for research. It even more asks for stimulating participation of people in past interrogation and creating an open critical attitude towards personal perceptions and those of others. The role of the archaeologist in this process of past communication is one of being an example to people with respect to care about archaeological heritage and involvement in both the past and people’s present environment. As an archaeological professional, who executes a profession that primarily is concerned with people, the archaeologist’s task is to facilitate involvement and provide society with critical questions on people’s past supposition. The practice of archaeology in itself needs to be a research environment where people communicate their understandings and from this realize a more inclusive community of involved people that show interest in their surroundings and each other. There can be worked towards a more stable future from contemporary knowledge or understanding about the past. Besides the interview technique, in order to find out more on people’s past concern this research aimed for application of methods from the social sciences. These were methods like discourse analysis and grounded theory. From the interrogation a better understanding of contemporary Surinamese community was accomplished. It made clear that Amerindians in Suriname in general were perceived as being unchanged. From a Western colonial perspective they did not bring about much development and their culture was regarded primitive. Their political, economic and cultural significance was neglected within the culturally diverse and divided Surinamese colonial community. From contemporary and continuous political and societal shifts reorientation on those people who are indigenous to Suriname as well as on other groups in society however is needed in order to create communality. The recommendation to Surinamese society is that ongoing conceptualization on the past and people in society, is necessary in order to accomplish a stable community.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
closed access
My main interest is to investigate the adjustment of the young returning migrants to the Caribbean. Attention will be paid to their status in terms of cultural adjustment and settlement. The...Show moreMy main interest is to investigate the adjustment of the young returning migrants to the Caribbean. Attention will be paid to their status in terms of cultural adjustment and settlement. The gendered nature of their experience of return migration will be specifically considered. How race intersects and impacts the processes of return migration will be also examined. Special attention will be given to the socio-economic aspect of the young returnee’s lives; here the position of the young returnee in the employment market is going to be analyzed. By concentrating on this relatively small group I take distance from populations such as returning retirees which has been widely studied in the Caribbean migration studies.Show less
The site of Anse Trabaud, placed between the bay and mangrove area, has been observed during the fieldwork of Leiden University in 2012, during which the shell material of unit 7 was brought back...Show moreThe site of Anse Trabaud, placed between the bay and mangrove area, has been observed during the fieldwork of Leiden University in 2012, during which the shell material of unit 7 was brought back to be studied. The site is a pre-Columbian site, the habitation dated 700 to 1500 after Christ. The settlement was built on a sand ridge between the bay and the Morne des Petrifications, a mangrove area. The period of habitation was during the post Saladoid period, when the northern Lesser Antilles were less populated, while the southern Lesser Antilles kept the same population and even experienced some growth. The question that was to be answered with the research was: what can the shell material say about the subsistence strategies of the people of Anse Trabaud? The shell material gathered at this site is the subject of this thesis, to help find out what the subsistence strategies of the people of Anse Trabaud were. In the material there were nine most common species: Cenchristis muricatus, Chiton sp., Cittarium pica, Donax denticulatus, Lucina pectinata, Mytilopsis leucophaeata, Nerita tesselata, Pleurodonte formosa and Nerita versicolor. Most shell material was found in layer 4 and 5, which was most probably a shell midden, and in layer 8, which was the earliest layer of this deposition. Most shells that were found in the shell material from unit 7 were from the sea, with four species that were found in the mangrove and two from the land. The results from the analysis of the data that was gathered from the material leads to the conclusion that the sea was the most important for the subsistence strategies of the people of Anse Trabaud, most shells were gathered in the shallow water of bay. The shells in the mangrove were less important to the diet and the shells on land were probably gathered during other activities during the day. All species were probably gathered during specific seasons, to prevent over-use.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
closed access
Mobility and exchange have been important concepts in Caribbean archaeology, but their potential to address the role of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) in ancient Amerindian societies has been...Show moreMobility and exchange have been important concepts in Caribbean archaeology, but their potential to address the role of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) in ancient Amerindian societies has been overlooked. This pilot study investigates the possibility of exploring the mobility and/or exchange of the dog by employing strontium isotope analysis (87Sr/86Sr) on archaeological dog dental elements (n=10). Here, strontium isotope analysis was successfully applied to dog teeth from two Ceramic Age sites on Grande-Terre in Guadeloupe: Anse á la Gourde (AD 900-1350) and Morel (300 BC – AD 1400). Three out of ten (30%) dog elements were determined to be non-local (one from Anse à la Gourde and two from Morel). Potential origins of these dogs are consistent with multiple localities throughout the circum-Caribbean. These mobility patterns of dogs can be caused by complex processes involving their movement and/or exchange. In this study the concepts of migration, spheres of exchange, social valuable and inalienability, have been employed to address dog mobility. Using strontium isotopic analysis it is possible to investigate these processes in ways that can complement the information derived from archaeological, ethnohistoric and ethnographic contexts. This multi-disciplinary approach allows for a comparison of the various interactions of humans with dogs across time and space in Amerindian societies of the circum-Caribbean. The obtained information on this interaction and the strontium isotopic results of the dog teeth can be compared with available (bio)archaeological evidence on patterns of human mobility and artefact exchange. This comparison leads to a more conclusive interpretation of dog mobility patterns and contributes to a better understanding of the networks of mobility and exchange present during the Ceramic Age in the Antilles. This research has highlighted the potentials of the study of human-animal interaction and the contributions that strontium isotope analysis can offer to the understanding of the complex processes of mobility and exchange at work in the circum-Caribbean.Show less
Het landschap is onderhevig aan vele factoren, waarvan de mens er één is. Dit geldt ook voor het Caribische landschap, het onderwerp van deze studie. Vaak overschatten we onszelf en denken we dat...Show moreHet landschap is onderhevig aan vele factoren, waarvan de mens er één is. Dit geldt ook voor het Caribische landschap, het onderwerp van deze studie. Vaak overschatten we onszelf en denken we dat we het ecologische en klimatologische systeem snappen en alles kunnen creëren en controleren wat we willen. Wetenschappelijke studies, waaronder archeologie, hebben aangetoond dat we lang niet alles snappen en we behoorlijk afhankelijk zijn van de grillen van onder andere het klimaat en geologische processen als vulkanisme. Wat verder blijkt na bestudering van verschillende bronnen is dat de gedachte dat we als Europeanen als enige het landschap met opzet veranderden onjuist is. Voor de komst van de Europeanen werd er in de Caraïben behoorlijk wat gedaan om zo goed mogelijk te overleven. Kleinschalige tuintjes waar allerlei planten werden gekweekt en waarvoor stukken land werden afgebrand en de introductie van verschillende uitheemse dier- en plantsoorten zorgden onder andere voor de menselijke invloed op het landschap. Zelfs de archaïsche bewoners van de Caraïben deden meer aan landschap modificatie dan we aanvankelijk veronderstelden. Dit alles zijn we te weten gekomen door opgravingen, boringen en bestudering van historische bronnen. Curaçao is een goed voorbeeld van hoe het landschap is uitgebuit en hoe we daarvan nog steeds de gevolgen merken. Archeologische studies op andere plekken in de Caraïben en op andere plekken in de wereld leren ons verder hoe de mens in het verleden voor de komst van westerlingen de natuur behandelde en hoe men zich probeerde te redden te midden van natuurgeweld, klimaatveranderingen en een onvoorspelbare leefomgeving. Er vallen verschillende lessen te leren uit deze resultaten die bruikbaar zijn voor de toekomst en andere disciplines dan de archeologie. De belangrijkste les is dat we zuinig moeten zijn op onze omgeving, omdat ook wij nog steeds afhankelijk zijn van de natuur, maar dat we nooit in staat zullen zijn een landschap altijd te behouden zoals het op een moment in tijd is. Het landschap is altijd onderhevig aan veranderingen. Dit ontdek je pas als je het over een langere periode bestudeerd.Show less
In 2002 and 2010 boxes were discovered in the archives of the Ethnology Museum in Leiden. These boxes contained around 7600 lemma’s and numerous books with drawings. These lemma’s and drawings...Show moreIn 2002 and 2010 boxes were discovered in the archives of the Ethnology Museum in Leiden. These boxes contained around 7600 lemma’s and numerous books with drawings. These lemma’s and drawings combined make up the unfinished work of two of the Penard brothers. These two, out of four, brothers lived in Suriname and did research into the Kari’na Amerindian society in the coastal area of Suriname. The emphasis of their research was into the cosmovision and worldview of the Kari’na, with which they delivered astonishing work in documenting the cosmovision and belief system of the Kari’na. The Penard manuscript would be their biggest publication, an encyclopedia of the Caribbean, if not for the timely demise of two of the Penard brothers. The Penard manuscript has a great potential for the archaeology of Suriname and the archaeology of the Caribbean in general. Due to the combination of the drawings and the lemma’s, we possess a great body of information about the cosmological belief system of the Kari’na. This provides us with a greater knowledge of the iconographic culture of the Kari’na. And since iconographic material is an important part of the material culture of the Kari’na, it can provide us with information about the trade and migration in the Caribbean. But since my research was meant as a preliminary research into the potential of the Penard manuscript, further research has to be conducted to assess the true value of the manuscript.Show less
Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
This research makes an attempt at introducing paleodemography on a large scale in the Caribbean. Firstly the history of the discipline will be outlined, focusing on the development from historical...Show moreThis research makes an attempt at introducing paleodemography on a large scale in the Caribbean. Firstly the history of the discipline will be outlined, focusing on the development from historical demography to demography where physical anthropology is central to the analyses made. Attention will be paid to major advancements, pitfalls and solutions which have been developed through the years. Lastly the development of paleodemography in the Caribbean will be described, giving special attention to the work of the author and others. Secondly the methods and techniques associated with this study will be explained. The methodology uses the Bradford ageing categories which by the usage of categories rather than precise ages allows for a lower number of misclassifications. Using this system also facilitates for data from other investigations to be easily incorporated in this research. The usage of the life table will also be explained, where the different categories and calculations necessary to determine those categories will be introduced. Following this it will be determined which different populations have different population profiles. These different profiles, amongst others, are migratory, standard and catastrophic. The implications these profiles have for the interpretation of the sites will also be determined. The 15 sites which are central to this investigation are selected on the basis of their representation of the Pre-Columbian Ceramic period, the size of their cemeteries (since small population can cause statistical fluctuations) and/or their specific function. Lastly a new standard population for comparative purposes will be introduced which is based on ethnographic data from the Warao who nowadays inhibit the Orinoco Delta in South America. The next chapter introduces the 15 sites based on their geographic location, time period and the characteristics of their graveyards. Where possible the proportions within the graveyard assemblage between males and females, and Adults and Non-Adults will be reviewed. It will also be indicated how well preserved and complete the skeletons are, all of which can have influence on the conclusions which will be drawn later on. After the introduction of these sites the results are presented, indicating that three sites have a catastrophic demographic profile (El Chorro de Maita, Juan Dolio en Anse à la Gourde), three have a normal demographic profile (Maisabel, Kelbey’s Ridge en Pointe de Caille), one is a failed colonization attempt (Punta Candalero) and the other sites are characterized by incomplete analyses. The sites which have been incompletely analyzed appear to have a common pattern in which the mortality rates of the older age categories is higher than expected. An explanation for this pattern can however not be found. Form the 90 analyses it is apparent that the demography of the pre-Columbian Caribbean can be characterized as being very divers, without a general regional image. Furthermore it becomes clear that the standard population derived from the Warao is an alternative to the standard European models which works well in this context. The methodology worked and it is therefore possible to use this methodology in future researchers to allow for these researches to be placed in a broader context of demographic research.Show less
This thesis is written as an orientation on heritage management and archaeology in Suriname. To be able to draw conclusions on this subject, the discussion first is on theoretical insights about...Show moreThis thesis is written as an orientation on heritage management and archaeology in Suriname. To be able to draw conclusions on this subject, the discussion first is on theoretical insights about heritage management. The theoretical discussion emphasizes the western scholar perspective in heritage management as well as archaeology. This western progressivist evolutionary perspective also has its consequences for policymaking in Suriname. Decisions from the past are of influence in the present. As a result UNESCO World Heritage enlisting of the Paramaribo city centre has led to many initiatives on the level of cultural perception but also is basic to a quite heavy financial and organizational responsibility for Surinamese society. Further heritage policy making must take notion of the existing commitments but also needs orientation on what fits the market economy of the country. Both building a sense of national consciousness and responsibility for the countries vulnerable Indigenous inhabitants and their culture should be taken care of within future policy making. From the before mentioned point of view archaeology and heritage management opens new possibilities. Revitalization of archaeology within Suriname could lead to an awareness of the processes that created present day society and give greater time depth to human presence in Suriname. It has the ability to set Surinamese history stronger within the regions communal past and to create mutual understanding. To emphasize the possibilities of the discipline there should be looked at better implementation of archaeology within existing management frameworks. Also should be undertaken a better societal advertisement of archaeological work. This can only be reached by making archaeology more public within the country. In this manner valuable archaeological information will be spared and cultural perception will increase.Show less
