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Afro Caribbean - Blog Posts
In the 1970s, excavations at the Newton Slave Burial Ground uncovered the grave of a man believed to be a healer or spiritual figure. He was buried with powerful objects: metal jewelry, an iron knife, and a short-stemmed clay pipe likely made in Ghana.
Among his burial items was a necklace made from a mix of beads, some with fascinating origins.
One glass bead, made with European powder glass, was probably crafted in Ghana.
Another, a cylindrical carnelian bead, came from Cambay, India ; a region known for carnelian bead production since the first millennium. These beads were traded through East Africa, across the Sahara, and into West Africa.
Other elements of the necklace could have been acquired in Barbados, but together they reflect a deep continuity of African cultural traditions in the Caribbean.
Scholar Jerome Handler used ethnographic sources from West Africa to interpret the necklace, and strongly argued that the man was likely seen as an obeah or healer by the enslaved community at Newton.
This burial is one of the most powerful archaeological cases for the survival of African spiritual identity through the horrors of the Middle Passage and slavery.
Barbados Heritage District, honoring memory, land and spirit. Designed by world-renowned architect Sir David Adjaye. It will be built next to Newton Slave Burial Ground, the oldest and largest slave cemetery ever found in Barbados. The site will include a memorial, a museum, a global research center, and spaces for performances and reflection.It’s part of a national project called ROAD (Reclaiming Our Atlantic Destiny), which aims to reshape Barbados’identity and economy by making it a central place for learning about Atlantic slavery, from the Caribbean, not just from the West. Barbados actually holds the second largest collection of slave records after the UK. One key part of the project is to digitize these archives and give access to researchers, families, and future generations. But not everything has gone smoothly. Some activists, spiritual leaders, and museum workers protested the construction, saying it disrespected the sacred nature of the burial ground.Now, discussions are ongoing to create cultural and spiritual guidelines.There’s also talk of founding a spiritual university, in collaboration with Codrington College, to show how different faiths and traditions can live together. The Newton Burial Ground itself is powerful: about 1,000 enslaved people were buried there, between 1660 and 1820.They were laid to rest by their families and communities, often with rituals inspired by African traditions.It’s the only untouched slave cemetery ever excavated in the Caribbean.The artefacts and human remains found here tell us stories we couldn’t get from written documents alone. This project has the potential to transform how we understand slavery, heritage and identity. It also reminds us that healing history must include respect, spirit and the voices of the people.
My photos : Barbados, 2022
I created this blog to share resources about my research work and connect with others who are interested in the theme of African material culture in Caribbean. In a few days, I'll be heading to Barbados for a research mission. It's the most exciting part of the journey : being fully immersed in the field. I can't wait to share photos and moments with locals, researchers, and artists ! I also really want to share a few moments at the Rasta Temple, where an old Ras once taught me how to sculpt. I'm so looking forward to showing you all of this ! With Love.
Dans le vodoun ayitien, on dit que chaque humain marche avec son kò kadav = le corps matériel, son nanm = l'âme, son tibonanj, son gwobanang, ses lwa têt, ses mystères et ses anges. Le kò kadav est, entre autres, l'expression physique et actuelle de tout les ancêtres qui nous habitent. Quand je travaille sur les objets je me sens connectée à un tissage ancestral. Les objets sont plus que de simples ustensiles ou décorations. Ce sont des productions culturelles qui expriment des perceptions philosophiques, scientifiques, esthétiques et qui surtout témoignent de vie humaine !
Roberto's alter in Perico, Cuba, image by Susan Matthews
I was so happy when I found this review at an antique store in Batlimore. It was like the connection has to be made.
REX NETTLEFORD I love him so much, he is a Caribbean thinker who inspires me enormously.
Material and visual heritage of Manman dlo, Lasiren, Yemọja and Ọṣun.
Coeur tambour, Scholastique Mukasonga
The cover image of this book is beautiful. This luminous woman holds a bowl, bearing the colors of the moon that gives its beauty to the early morning sun, thus revealing the splendor of sacred objects. When the drum beats, the story of Africa beats. It is first the story of Queen Kitami then that of Prisca, a little girl from a village in Rwanda, whose myth resonates in the Caribbean and America. This book seems magical to me, and I’m just looking forward to reading it, it fits perfectly into my research themes.
Presentation: the name of my blog comes from the term Tibonanj( Ti-Bon-Ange) which refers in the culture of Haitian vodoun to one of the two parts of the soul. Tibonanj, Ti bon ange = Good Little Angel is the part of the soul that guides us to the most just and personal way of life. It is a personalization of the higher self as an awakened part of the soul. It can also travel outside the body during sleep or trances. the Gwobonanj (Gros-Bon-Ange) = Big Good Angel, is the part of the soul that represents the vital force. It is embodied from birth. It is similar to the Àṣẹ, the divine breath, in the Yoruba civilization. It leaves the body only at the moment of death when it returns to the Gran Met, place where resides the vital force, which is perceived as a basin. Of Haitian origin, I travel and explore the world. My favorite region is the Caribbean and I dream of visiting all these islands. I am a PhD student in Cultural History and an artist/designer. My vision is that of a future Caribbean where African knowledge ( whether languages, stories, tangible and intangible production, ancient or recent )are disseminated, easily accessible and used by all. For me, All these resources allow an opening to social, human, scientific and economic inventiveness through the central point that is culture. I look forward to sharing more, all in passion and love. My aesthetic is that of Caribbean luxury, Academics vibe, Artefacts, Painting, Sculpture, Old comics and Island jazz, Funk, Reggae philosophy, Ancestral spirituality, and Green nature.
Welcome to my blog, Today I have had a strong desire to create a space where I can share my passion for Afro-diasporic cultural history, its critical reflection and cultural theories. I would also like to share my passion for art that is inspired by this world. I hope to build a community with which to exchange, discuss and learn.