AbstractsAnthropology

Betty???s Hope Sugar Plantation is important and multifaceted in its historical and social significance related to the production and economy of sugar, and the Codrington family, an influential family in the British Caribbean. Today, it is a destination on the tourist route and the current location of ongoing archaeological investigations and research. The purpose of this project is to apply core concepts and methods from contemporary museum studies and cultural heritage management practices to the installation of an interpretive exhibit in the Visitors Center at Betty???s Hope on the Caribbean island of Antigua, as well as to a smaller exhibit within the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda in St. John???s, Antigua???s capital city. Accountability and accessibility, major components of New Museum Theory and cultural heritage management practices, are addressed and executed throughout the exhibition development and installation process by consulting with both scholars and locals, using multiple layers of interpretive information, and through the fabrication of exhibit components. The project contributes to the fields of anthropology and museum studies by acting as a case study emphasizing the practical application of theoretical perspectives and enumerating the process of exhibit development and installation in a developing country such as Antigua. The fulfillment of ethical responsibilities of those who steward the cultural heritage resources of both Betty???s Hope and Antigua and the interpretation of those resources to both local Antiguans and international travelers to this cultural heritage site are also addressed. Advisors/Committee Members: Fox, Georgia (advisor).