Français
Against all expectations, the exhibition room at the Wall House Museum is not filled with objects from another time. A succession of panels occupy the museum's high white walls, describing the archaeological digs carried out by the Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives (Inrap) on Saint-Barthélemy. Everyone asks us where the objects go," smiles Nathalie Sellier, an Inrap archaeologist recognizable by her red T-shirt. But there is no archaeological repository on Saint-Barth, all its archaeological furniture is kept on Saint-Martin. "
Two other archaeologists, also wearing red T-shirts, came all the way from Guadeloupe for the Heritage Days to launch the exhibition: Jean-Georges Ferrié and Anne Richier. All three stroll through the museum to chat with visitors and share their work. When we're excavating, we don't necessarily have the time to give back to the public, even though it's part of our job," insists Nathalie Sellier. Here, we can talk with them, and they have a lot to teach us. "
70 operations
Through various panels, the archaeologists describe their way of working and all the trades they collaborate with. A second part of the exhibition is totally dedicated to the archaeological excavations carried out in Saint-Barth since 2015. "One of the special features of Saint-Barth is that the digs didn't start very long ago," Anne Richier points out. Before 2015, the island was out of the zoning, i.e. it was not mapped as a territory in which to carry out preventive archaeology. With a change in regulations, Saint-Barth appeared on the maps of archaeologists, who have carried out over 70 operations since then. To date, excavations have focused mainly on the coastline, revealing the island's "great archaeological wealth". From pre-Columbian sites in Saint-Jean and Lorient, where Amerindians stopped over, to the Swedish occupation of Fort Gustaf III.
English tableware
"Saint-Barth is the only Caribbean island to have been occupied by the Swedes," says Anne Richier. Archaeological traces from this period are therefore unique in this geographical area. But during excavations, archaeologists discovered a majority of English tableware, revealing a very cosmopolitan population at this period. "There are many objects such as ceramics or clothing buttons that tell us about their daily lives, but also about the relationships that were maintained with the various islands and the metropolis," says Nathalie Sellier. Until October 26, this exhibition is open free of charge at the Wall House Museum in Gustavia. An opportunity to discover the history of Saint-Barth, through its archaeological heritage.
