David Simpson'11 and Steve Jankiewicz will give a public presentation titled "Petroglyphs to Plantations: The Archaeology of St. John, US Virgin Islands." Both have worked with archaeologist Ken Wild at the Virgin Islands National Park and currently work for the Illinois State Archaeological Survey. In their presentation they will discuss waves of migration into the Greater and Lesser Antilles that began thousands of years ago. From these migrating cultures and customs, the Taino people developed and eventually spread throughout the Carribean bringing with them a compelling material culture and cosmology.

With the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the Taino world shattered within decades. European colonizers rushed to the region in search of power and wealth. Pirates ransacked the islands surrounding St. John. The trans-Atlantic slave trade fueled the sugar plantation era through the late 18th and 19th centuries. Slave rebellions and larger European conflicts brought the colonial period to an end. The U.S. National Park Service began managing St. John in 1956 and continues to protect the rich cultural heritage and archaeological resources of the island. Today, archaeology on St. John in the Virgin Islands National Park is conducted by Ken Wild, the park’s cultural resource manager, and a cadre of interns from across the U.S., including the presenters.

This event is free and open to campus and community.