The Excavation Experience...
The SECAR. idea was initially conceived to provide people interested in archaeology with an opportunity to participate in a real archaeological excavation. Excavation Experience Team members are not required to have been on a dig previously. In fact, the program is geared toward those who have had no archaeological experience. However, this does not mean that people with a few archaeological excavations under their belt are not welcome. A diverse field crew only enhances the learning process. Those joining an Excavation Experience team will discover archaeology through a combination of lectures and hands-on learning.
Misha Spanner
Museum Assistant- SECAR volunteer
Misha grew up on Statia and has a long-standing interest in the Island's history and archaeology. She is particluarly interested in artefact analysis, ethnography and museum curatorship. She now works at the St. Eustatius Historical Foundation Museum.
She is part of the SECAR excavation team, and also assists artefact processing, the by-weekly archaeology radio show, and the Young Archaeologists Club.
Archaeological Staff
R. Grant Gilmore III
Island Archaeologist and SECAR Director
The Director is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the S.E.C.A.R. including determining research goals, supervising and teaching excavation and artefact analysis, site interpretation for reports and spearheading archaeological education programs.
Grant grew up in Vero Beach, Florida (U.S.A.). He completed his BA and MA at The College of William and Mary Department of Anthropology in Williamsburg, Virginia (U.S.A.) in 1999. He was employed by the Colonial Williamsburg, Department of Archaeological Research (D.A.R.) between 1995-1999, and completed his PhD at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London (U.K.) in 2004. (Click here to see Grant's CV
Current SECAR Interns...
We are seeking qualified volunteers (MA or PhD in Historical Archaeology or equivalent) who would like gain "real world" experience in excavation, public archaeology, cultural resource management and lab/conservation work. Colonial artifact knowledge is a must, GIS a plus. Interns will be expected to stay for three months. Successful applicants will be helping with the widest possible range of projects—Young Archaeologists Club, development of GIS mapping, Radio/Television programming, conservation lab development, cataloging/reorganization of artifacts from past thirty years, emergency excavations, architectural assessments, report writing, grant applications, etc. If you have a desire to work in a challenging (mentally and physically) environment and would enjoy living in the Caribbean for few months—then please contact us ASAP.
Tim 'Hitch' Hitchens
Hitch catalogued all of the artefacts (9000) from our excavation of a Mikveh (a ceremonial bath) adjacent to the Honen Dalim Synagogue- one of the oldest in the Americas.
Andres Diaz
Andres used the ArcView GIS programme to set up a Geographic Information Systems map of Statia, which outlines all of the plantations depicted on the 1781 map of the island.
Ilse Gierts
Ilse translated a large portion of Knappert, which provides a history of windward islands in the 18th Century. She also gave school lectures and historical walking tours of Oranjestad.