Workshop Day 1: April 27th

(Above - Participants examine a bat adorno at the MAA, Cambridge. Photo: Jimena Lobo Guerrero Arenas)

The first day of the Whispers of Caribbean Isles Project concluded on Saturday, April 27th with attendance both at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) in Cambridge and at the Mille Fleurs in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

(Above- The SLIDO results of a question asked at the first workshop. Photo: Jimena Lobo Guerrero Arenas)

Conversations across the Atlantic on the objects held at the museum in Cambridge flourished, with SLIDO, a question-and-answer tool, playing an important role. One question that generated particular debate was how to refer to the period before European arrival in the Americas – results can be seen in the image above.  

(Above- Participants open a box at the MAA, Cambridge. Photo: Jimena Lobo Guerrero Arenas)

The objects from the boxes were mostly from Trinidad, representing the Saladoid ceramic style. A piece that looked like a bat raised interest from participants, and the importance of bats and their imagery that persists to today (including associations with darkness and death) were debated.

(Left - Conversation taking place in the MAA, Cambridge. Photo: Oliver Antczak)

Technology mostly played along with the workshop, but possible improvements were identified, including better close-ups of objects and measuring scales so that the objects could be scaled appropriately from a distance.

(Left - View inside the Mille Fleurs in Trinidad. Photo: Nimah Muwakil-Zakuri)

In Port of Spain, the conversations continued well after the workshop's conclusion.

(Conversations ongoing after the workshop in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Photo by Nimah Muwakil-Zakuri)

We hope to see everyone on day 2 of the workshop!