Reconstruction of Amerindian Village St. Vincent – Completed by local volunteers
Local volunteers have successfully completed the reconstruction of an Amerindian village at Argyle, St. Vincent that was initiated with NEXUS 1492 last January. The site was initially excavated by NEXUS 1492 archaeologists Dr. Corinne Hofman and Dr. Menno Hoogland and revealed floor plans of a number of Amerindian houses. The reconstruction was based on these excavated floor plans and detailed descriptions of 16th century travellers.
The Cayo Village Reconstruction Project
Now five huts have been successfully completed in an initiative led by local volunteers from the Forestry Division, under the guidance of Park Ranger Mr. Erasto Robinson from the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority of St. Vincent. The Cayo Village is an outstanding contribution to the island’s heritage; documenting the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and its earliest inhabitants. It will also be a tourist attraction, and will offer for sale local arts, crafts, entertainment and indigenous foods.
The Cayo Village Reconstruction Project at Argyle is the first and only Kalinago-European site of encounter to be found and fully excavated. The village has been declared a National Heritage Site of St. Vincent.
The reconstruction project has been undertaken by the St. Vincentian Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture, in collaboration with the Faculty of Archaeology at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Also involved are the SVG Tourism Authority; the National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority; IADC; Alliance Francaise, and the Garifuna Heritage Foundation.
Read about the start of the reconstruction of this Cayo village here!