Beyond Time Team: Archaeological Investigations at Coconut Walk, Nevis, West Indies, 1st July–4th August 2010

Quetta Kaye,Scott M Fitzpatrick,Michiel Kappers,Victor D Thompson

doi:10.5334/pia.347

Abstract

Introduction In July and August 2010 Kaye, Fitzpatrick and Kappers directed a team comprising four staff members from England, The Netherlands and the U.S. together with 22 students from various American universities to conduct archaeological investigations at the coastal site of Coconut Walk in Nevis, West Indies. Our goal this year was to expand on the 1998 excavations conducted by UK television’s Time Team (in conjunction with Southampton University) and, if time allowed, begin exploratory work at the more southerly site of Indian Castle. As with our work in previous years in Carriacou (summaries in Fitzpatrick et al. 2009; Kaye et al. 2009), our objectives this season were to conduct a detailed investigation of a Pre-Columbian site, train students in fieldwork exercises, raise public awareness and appreciation of archaeology by encouraging site visits and, working closely with the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS), to organise an exhibition of small finds for a public open day, and to conduct a series of television, radio, and newspaper interviews. Here we present the brief results of the 2010 project and outline future goals for our work on Nevis.

Highlights

In July and August 2010 Kaye, Fitzpatrick and Kappers directed a team comprising four staff members from England, The Netherlands and the U.S together with 22 students from various American universities to conduct archaeological investigations at the coastal site of Coconut Walk in Nevis, West Indies. Our goal this year was to expand on the 1998 excavations conducted by UK television’s Time Team and, if time allowed, begin exploratory work at the more southerly site of Indian Castle
As with our work in previous years in Carriacou, our objectives this season were to conduct a detailed investigation of a Pre-Columbian site, train students in fieldwork exercises, raise public awareness and appreciation of archaeology by encouraging site visits and, working closely with the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS), to organise an exhibition of small finds for a public open day, and to conduct a series of television, radio, and newspaper interviews
Given the rarity of published geophysical surveys in the region, our use of these techniques on Nevis was, in part, a pilot project to determine whether these could prove useful for identifying subsurface features, concentrations of archaeological material, and soil matrices which could be compared with findings from Hichman’s (Strutt 2003), located just south of Coconut Walk

Summary

Introduction

Introduction In July and August 2010 Kaye, Fitzpatrick and Kappers directed a team comprising four staff members from England, The Netherlands and the U.S together with 22 students from various American universities to conduct archaeological investigations at the coastal site of Coconut Walk in Nevis, West Indies. As with our work in previous years in Carriacou (summaries in Fitzpatrick et al 2009; Kaye et al 2009), our objectives this season were to conduct a detailed investigation of a Pre-Columbian site, train students in fieldwork exercises, raise public awareness and appreciation of archaeology by encouraging site visits and, working closely with the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society (NHCS), to organise an exhibition of small finds for a public open day, and to conduct a series of television, radio, and newspaper interviews.

Results

Conclusion