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Over the past few months we have been excavating on Synagogue Honen Dalim. However, in 2008 we will be working on a very special site--a possible Free Black Village. Very few free black (the general term used for freed slaves) settlements have ever been excavated in the Caribbean. Our excavations are aimed at elucidating the layout of the village and determining what sort of food and architecture utilised in this area. Artifacts include a wide range of post-medieval Atlantic trade items, including wine and gin bottles, European ceramics, Chinese handpainted porcelain, beads, coins, cannonballs and bone toothbrushes. During the hurricane season (from September through December) we catalogue artefacts and write our excavation reports. Please see our FaceBook Group for additional photos and information.

From January until August 2008 we have fieldwork Excavation Experiences. . Other potential sites that we may be excavating in 2008 include Fort Amsterdam on Oranje Bay. This was the slave trading depot where thousands of slaves were bought and sold. Other potential sites of interest are the Pleasures Estate, which was a sugar plantation and rum distillery complex. The third possibility is a 17th century Dutch Reformed Church, that was abandoned in the 1740's in favour of a new site for the church. Our schedule includes excavation in the morning, Monday to Friday with afternoons for artefact processing. We provide opportunities to learn all dimensions of excavation and post-excavation. From using a trowel to surveying, fieldwalking, archaeological photography, drawing site plans and profiles, artefact cleaning and conservation.