Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the volume’s organization, and current background literature on plantation archaeology in Caribbean historical archaeology as it pertains to the study site, Betty’s Hope plantation. One theoretical perspective in examining life at Betty’s Hope is through Entanglement Theory, although it is not the only theoretical perspective discussed in the volume. The Betty’s Hope project is partially aided by the Codrington Papers archive housed in the National Archives of Antigua and Barbuda. The archive is then compared to the archaeological discoveries made at Betty’s Hope from 2007 to 2015, yielding rich comparative data from one site. The volume is not limited to site-specific information but also incorporates Betty’s Hope in the broader scheme of the Caribbean regional developments.
This paper examines plantation archaeology as a form of material testimony and bearing witness to the historical trauma of slavery. Exploring intersections of literary and spatial analysis, and using a critical framework that combines Agamben, Weizman, and Felman, the author argues that the material testimony of plantation archaeology embodies a “lacuna” of witnessing, and may even replicate historical dynamics of violence.
Speaking the Lacuna: The Archaeology of Plantation Slavery as Testimony
