ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius —
At the time, the removal was treated as a scientific acquisition. The remains were crated and shipped to the Netherlands, eventually finding a permanent, silent home in the storage facilities of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden. There they stayed, cataloged and studied, thousands of miles from the Caribbean breeze and the volcanic soil of their birth. ORANJESTAD, St
The project uncovered the remains of a late Saladoid village at a site called Golden Rock, revealing a sophisticated indigenous settlement. Among the discoveries were the skeletal remains of nine indigenous individuals, as well as a wealth of artifacts, including pottery, shells, animal bones, and even evidence of a large communal house, likely a maloca. Following the excavation, all the unearthed human remains and the vast majority of the artifacts—some dating back to the 5th century—were shipped to the Netherlands for further study. The findings were eventually compiled into a 1992 publication, "The Archaeology of Sint Eustatius. The Golden Rock," after which the materials remained stored in a depot at Leiden University. There they stayed, cataloged and studied, thousands of
"Our story is much broader and richer than even we thought, and it's up to us to tell this story," said St. Eustatius Commissioner Alida Francis, reflecting on the profound impact of returning these ancestors home. Context: The Ongoing Push for Repatriation Following the excavation, all the unearthed human remains
In late 2023, the Netherlands completed the repatriation of 1,000-year-old Indigenous human remains to the Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, marking a significant step in reclaiming local cultural heritage from Leiden University. This final transfer, along with earlier returns in March 2023, concluded the restitution of the Versteeg collection, which included remains of individuals excavated during the 1980s. Read more at Dominica News Online