Using maritime archaeology and tourism to promote the protection of cultural heritage on land and underwater in Anguilla, British West Indies

Abstract

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the 2009 ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage (2001) created a turning point for maritime heritage management globally. However, in the Caribbean region on a local level many small islands are disadvantaged. Management strategies are poorly defined but even more fundamental is the absence of information on the type and nature of the resource to be managed. This thesis looks at the state of heritage management on Anguilla, a 34 mi2 island in the Lesser Antilles, and the process of developing a system for heritage management where no precedent exists. Analysis is based on participant observation and the local response to two field projects, a Shipwreck Survey to record previously undocumented underwater cultural heritage in 2009, and a land-based heritage trail (2010), both of which were completed during a 2 ½ year residency on Island. The first two chapters provide critical background data into the regional and international state of heritage management, the reasons for choosing Anguilla, and the island’s maritime heritage past and present. This history sets the stage for chapter 3, which presents the results of the 2009 Shipwreck Survey. Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of this initiative, the following two sections are devoted to recognizing the reasons why heritage management has not developed earlier and suggests future solutions. Piloting a theory for heritage management, chapter six describes the Anguilla Heritage Trail, while the following chapters describe a heritage management strategy on Anguilla for the future. This provides a practical example of how the principles of the 2001 UNESCO Convention, particularly its Annex, may be applied and realized in areas with little infrastructure and/or previous experience managing cultural resources.

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