Nevis, West Indies
21 and 28 March 1999

The tiny volcanic island of Nevis – now an independent nation with neighbouring St Kitts – was once called the 'Queen of the Caribees' because of the money-spinning sugar industry that it supported. That industry, which reached its height in the late 18th century, was run by white immigrants from Britain who were dependent on the labour of their black slaves. Time Team – in the first two-part programme in its history, based on six days of excavation – focused on Mountravers, a sugar plantation owned in the 18th century by John Pretor Pinney whose extensive records are now in Bristol. Then the Team went further back in history to see if they could discover the truth behind the legend that Jamestown, the island's first capital, had disappeared into the sea following an earthquake in 1680. Finally the Team went to the windward side of Nevis to look for traces of Amerindians, the island's earliest inhabitants.

Teaser
What does this lump of glass tell us about the way that the plantation owner at Mountravers ensured that his lifestyle didn't suffer on Nevis? (Photo: Mick Aston)

Answer
This is the base of a wine bottle stamped with the name of the factory in Bristol where it was made. Masses of bottle fragments were found during the Time Team excavation, indicating that, while the British expatriates may have suffered from the heat, they would have been able to ease their discomfort with drink.

Further reading

An Archaeology of Social Space: Analysing coffee plantations in Jamaica's Blue Mountains by James A Delle (Plenum Press, 1998) hardback £29.95
An archaeological study of the use of space in three coffee plantations, addressing various issues including negotiation of power within the context of a plantation, both before and after the abolition of slavery.

A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America by Ivor Noel Hume (Vintage, new ed. 1991) paperback £12.95
A clear and concise illustrated reference guide to Colonial-era artefacts ranging from Delftware and Wedgwood to clay tobacco pipes, cutlery and firearms.

Historical Archaeology: A brief introduction by C E Orser and B M Fagan (HarperCollins, 1995) paperback £8.99
The archaeological study of people documented in recent history has expanded dramatically in the last few decades. This book describes the basic principles, theory and global applications.

Seeds of Change edited by Herman J Viola and Carolyn Margolis (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1991) paperback £7.95
Attractive and stimulating book about the exchange of plants, animals and disease between the Old and New worlds.

Settlers on the Eastern Shore: British colonies in America 1607-1750, edited by John Scott (Facts on File, 1994) paperback £7.95
A concise history of the British colonisation of North America.

Swords, Ships & Sugar: A history of Nevis to 1900 by Vincent K Hubbard (Premiere Editions International, 1997) paperback $14.95
A history of the island of Nevis, documenting the lives of its earliest peoples and later settlers.

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