The Tribune

HAVE you ever wondered what the map of Nassau looked like in 1770 or exactly how Spain invaded and occupied The Bahamas during the American Revolution?

These were some of the projects four Bahamian researchers attached to the Antiquities, Monuments and Museum Corporation (AMMC) worked on in 2015.

At a special presentation to the Bahamas Historical Society, young researchers Taige Adderley, Caprice Johnson, Maressa Hanna and Nameiko Miller shared their findings over the past year and discussed the next steps and future goals for their historical projects in 2016. The group also explored the West India Regiment and its impact in The Bahamas along with patterns of out migration of Bahamians to Cuba.

AMMC’s Senior Archaeologist, Dr Michael Pateman, leads the team of college-educated researchers as they work towards the Corporation’s mandate to form a research and publications unit. “A part of our goal is to present Bahamian history and heritage in a way where it is accessible to the public,” Dr Pateman said.

“This specific team of researchers will now move into 2016 focused on completing their work and publishing their findings. We will use the process as a template for future projects falling under the scope of AMMC.”

Additional research at the corporation is being conducted on a continuing basis by Ph.D. researchers Dr Keith Tinker, Director at AMMC, Dr Grace Turner, Research Consultant, and Dr Pateman. Projects range from how The Bahamas and Bermuda shaped the Atlantic World (to be published by University Press of Florida), the history and heritage of Cat Island, African slave cemeteries and a coffee book on Bahamian heritage,

“The Corporation has teamed up with international publishing houses to print works based on research conducted on our shores. We are also in the process of developing a MOU with Government Printing, which will allow us to print and publish books, journals and other heritage resources in a cost effective manner for Bahamian consumption,” Dr Pateman said.