SOCIETY FOR POST-MEDIEVAL ARCHAEOLOGY 2005 CONFERENCE
NEVIS, THE EASTERN CARIBBEAN
SECOND ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS

From 27th June to 1st July 2005 the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology's Annual Conference will be held on the island of Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean - and will focus on the historical archaeology of the colonial or shared landscapes of the Caribbean.  This is the first time that the Society's Annual Conference has been held outside the British Isles.  The conference will provide a unique opportunity to combine a visit to the Eastern Caribbean with learning about recent archaeological research in the region.  The conference programme will include two days of field visits to sites on Nevis and the nearby island of St Kitts (St Christopher), and the option of participating in a field visit to the island of St Eustatius (Statia). The timing of the conference has been chosen so as to enable delegates to attend also the meeting of the International Association of Caribbean Archaeologists, which will be held in July 2005 in Trinidad. The conference is being held in association with the Nevis Historical and Conservation Society and the St Christopher Heritage Society.   The conference also marks the completion of a three-year project funded by the British Academy looking at the archaeology of the colonial landscape of Nevis and St Kitts.
 
The conference venue will be the Mount Nevis Hotel, superbly situated on the slopes of Mount Nevis, close to the Vance Amory Nevis International Airport and with views to St Kitts and St Eustatius to the north.  The Four Seasons Hotel at Pinney's Beach, on the west coast of Nevis, will be the venue for an evening plenary session and an augmented local audience. Further accommodation details are given below.

Papers and other contributions

Papers and other contributions will be welcomed on the conference theme in its widest context: the archaeology of the colonial or shared landscapes of the Greater Caribbean from the late fifteenth century onwards, embracing the south-eastern coast of North America and extending to Bermuda.  Specific themes will include the historical archaeology of agricultural, urban and defended landscapes, pre- and post-emancipation landscapes of plantation slavery and of industrial production, theory and method in historical landscape, colonial and post-colonial archaeology, and material culture and landscape, including the vernacular and other architecture of the peoples of the historic Caribbean.  Contributors may suggest other themes.

Major Paper: Theoretical, methodological or data-synthesising presentations that cover broad regional or topical subjects based upon completed research (20 minutes).

Research Report: Brief presentations focussing on research in progress or findings of small-scale studies (10 minutes).

Posters / Media Displays: Freestanding, mounted exhibits with texts and graphics - ideally copies of these will be made available for three months following the conference for display in the museums of Nevis, St Eustatius and St Kitts.

The conference organisers will group major papers and research reports into general sessions organised by theme and topic, and will assign a chair to each session. 

Abstract Submission

Contributors of proposed papers must submit a title and abstract not to exceed 150 words, to be submitted to the Conference Chair, Professor Roger Leech, address below, by 31st December 2004. 

Publication

The proceedings of the conference will be published in the refereed Society for Post Medieval Archaeology Conference Series, following upon recent volumes on the Archaeology of Reformation, the Archaeology of Industrialisation and others.

Getting there

The lowest fares for travel from the United Kingdom are currently c. £320 return, for London Gatwick to St Kitts via a Saturday flight with Excel Airways, also available through Golden Caribbean.  British Airways and Virgin fly from Gatwick to Antigua, with onward flights by LIAT to Nevis. For flights from the United Kingdom or France, there are daily flights by Air France to St Martin from Paris, connections from Manchester, Bristol and Southampton, onward flight by Winair from St Martin to Nevis. 
Travel from North America to Nevis can be direct with one change at San Juan or via Antigua, St Kitts (inexpensive ferry to Nevis) or St Martin. Please address any preliminary enquiries on likely costs and logistics to Bruce Williams, Bristol and Region Archaeological Services, as below.

Accommodation

Accommodation will be available at a range of prices.  The Mount Nevis Hotel, the conference hotel, will be offering a conference discount of 30% on its published prices (www.MountNevisHotel.com).  Other accommodation possibilities, both lower and higher in cost, will be listed in the final conference announcement.
  
Please address any preliminary enquiries on likely costs and logistics to Bruce Williams, Bristol and Region Archaeological Services, as below.


The Organisers:
 
Professor Roger H Leech, School of Humanities (Archaeology), University of Southampton, Avenue Campus, Highfield, SOUTHAMPTON, SO17 1BF, UNITED KINGDOM, email: <[log in to unmask]>

Bruce Williams, Bristol and Region Archaeological Services, St Nicholas Church, St Nicholas Street, BRISTOL, BS1 1UE, UNITED KINGDOM, email: <[log in to unmask]>


For the Nevis Heritage Project see: <http://www.arch.soton.ac.uk/Research/Nevis/Nevis.html> 


4th July 2004