The Old Village and the Great House
An Archaeological and Historical Examination of Drax Hall Plantation, St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica
Rediscovering the lives of enslaved people in Jamaica
Cloth – $51
978-0-252-01617-2
Publication Date
Cloth: 01/01/1990
About the Book
A combination of archaeological and historical study, The Old Village and the Great House examines life within enslaved, and later free, laborer households at a Jamaican sugar plantation. Douglas V. Armstrong draws on excavations in house-yard areas to create a case study comparison between the lives of enslaved workers and the planter class. As Armstrong shows, archaeological analysis and historical research reveal a firsthand record of people's lives and the emergence of an African-Jamaican community. Detailed descriptions of artifacts, structural remains, and dietary refuse combine with written accounts to provide insight into the lives of enslaved people and African-Jamaican transformations.About the Author
Douglas V. Armstrong is a professor of anthropology at Syracuse University. His books include Creole Transformation from Slavery to Freedom: Historical Archaeology of the East End Community, St. John, Virgin Islands.Reviews
"Meticulously researched and lucidly written, this valuable case study will be of interest not only to anthropologists but to all students of the African Diaspora to the Americas and the process of acculturation among Blacks in the new world."--August MeierRelated Titles
