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The Water Island Archaeological Project: archaeology and history in the eastern Caribbean

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

David G. Anderson
Affiliation:
Southeast Archeological Center, National Park Service, 2035 East Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee FL 32310, David_Anderson@nps.govrsk5906@garnet.acns.fsu.eduEmily_Yates@nps.gov
R. Steven Kidd
Affiliation:
Southeast Archeological Center, National Park Service, 2035 East Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee FL 32310, David_Anderson@nps.govrsk5906@garnet.acns.fsu.eduEmily_Yates@nps.gov
Emily M. Yates
Affiliation:
Southeast Archeological Center, National Park Service, 2035 East Paul Dirac Drive, Tallahassee FL 32310, David_Anderson@nps.govrsk5906@garnet.acns.fsu.eduEmily_Yates@nps.gov

Extract

In 1998 extensive investigations were undertaken on Water Island, US Virgin Islands, by a research team from the Southeast Archeological Center, National Park Service. The US government is relinquishing ownership of the island, an action that would affect cultural resources. Earlier surveys had located a number of sites, including the remains of three 18th- and l9th-century plantations, historic wells, prehistoric shell middens and an extensive World War II fortification complex (Wild & Anderson 1992; Knight 2001; Anderson et al. in preparation).

Water Island, located off St Thomas, encompasses about one square mile, and is characterized by steep rocky slopes, a pronounced central ridgeline and a highly indented coastline with numerous bays and beaches (FIGURE 1). Fresh water comes from rainfall, and in small brackish ponds. Vegetation ranges from dry tropical thorn scrub to mangrove/salt ponds.

Type
News & Notes
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2001

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References

Anderson, D.G., Knight, D., Kidd, R.S. & Yates, E.M.. In preparation. The archaeology and history of Water Island. Tallahassee (FL): Southeast Archeologi-cal Center, National Park Service, Technical Report Series.Google Scholar
Knight, D.W. 2001. Into the light: the enigmatic history of Water Island in the Danish West Indies 1672–1917. St Thomas: Virgin Islands Historical & Genealogical Resource Center.Google Scholar
Wild, K.S. & Anderson, D.G.. 1992. An ar-cheological inventory and assessment of cultural resources on Water Island, US Virgin Islands. Tallahassee (FL): Southeast Archeological Center, National Park Service.Google Scholar