BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - ONE of the Federation’s leading archaeologists has captured and documented more of the country’s rich cultural history in the areas of slavery and life on the plantation.
Principle Archaeologist and Consultant at C. Gill Consulting, Cameron Gill, has designed a new centre showcasing that rich history.
The centre includes the names of slaves and archaeological finds from the Federation and is on display for visitors to the location.
A simple ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday (Sept. 21) for the formal opening of the centre, which is located inside the Eco-Park. Speaking with SKNVibes, Gill explained that he was contracted by the management of the facility to create an exhibit of St. Kitts and Nevis.
The park, which is a joint venture between the Governments of Taiwan and St. Kitts and Nevis, will showcase the exhibit that forms part of the Federation’s celebration of the Sugar Festival.
“For the research and exhibit, I did documentary at the archives for both primary and secondary sources, where I sourced documents and pictures. For the oral research of this project, I interviewed former employees of the St. Kitts Sugar Manufacturing Corporation,” Gills stated.
He explained that additional field work went into the research and sourcing of the artifacts that are needed for the facility, such as images and text as well as small and large artifacts.
A remarkable aspect of the site for visitors to see are the names of several slaves taken from various registers during the slave uprising.
“The names on the floors were taken from the 1970 slave register. The slave owners had to keep an up- to-date register of their slaves and some of the names were taken from the 1870 register,” Gill explained.
Additionally, a number of photos showcasing various aspects of life on sugar plantations and the treatment they received are also on display.
According to Gill, the centre will be opened to the public six days a week.
