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Assessing Heritage Resources in St. Croix Post‐Hurricanes Irma and Maria
Author(s) -
Dunnavant Justin P.,
Flewellen Ayana Omilade,
Jones Alexandra,
Odewale Alicia,
White William
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
transforming anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.325
H-Index - 9
eISSN - 1548-7466
pISSN - 1051-0559
DOI - 10.1111/traa.12130
Subject(s) - documentation , archaeology , historic site , history , world heritage , empowerment , diaspora , cultural heritage , political science , law , tourism , computer science , programming language
In the summer of 2017, we, as members of the Society of Black Archaeologists ( SBA ), initiated a sustainable archaeological project on the island of St. Croix in collaboration with several local and international partners. Only a few months later, Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated much of the US Virgin Islands causing substantial loss in life and property, widespread displacement, damage to infrastructure, and negative impacts to important historical landscapes and heritage resources. This article outlines the effects of hurricane damage on African diaspora heritage sites in St. Croix and our response as Black archaeologists committed to community empowerment. Learning from the recent events, we offer recommendations for standardized methods of site documentation that can be adopted by archaeologists and heritage professionals working in the circum‐Caribbean to better assess site damage and develop protective conservation techniques before major catastrophic events.