Matthew C. Reilly

MATTHEW REILLY, City University of New York, City College, New York, New York, was awarded funding in October 2022 to aid research on “Liberian Archaeology for the Bicentennial and Beyond: Building Sustainable Practice and Inclusive Heritage at Providence Island.” The summer 2023 field season marked the fifth official season of research and community engagement under the banner of the Back-to-Africa Heritage and Archaeology (BAHA) project. Since the 2019 season, our team has carried out a systematic archaeological investigation of Providence Island, conducting mapping, geophysical surveys, drone modeling, and excavation at the site. Importantly, the project also incorporates capacity building components, which involves training of Liberian students and collaboration with Liberian institutions and communities. In our 2023 season, the BAHA team carefully identified, analyzed, catalogued, and digitally curated our archaeological collection of over 7,500 artifacts from Providence Island and the Barbadian settled township of Crozierville. This work proved invaluable in understanding the use of sites like Providence Island prior to, during, and after the year of official settlement in 1822. Importantly, we also developed a preliminary typology for Indigenous ceramics, which have gone unexplored for over 50 years. Finally, the team undertook significant educational outreach, welcoming over 120 Liberian students to the site of Providence Island for team-led tours and hands-on experience in archaeological research.