Indigenous village to be reconstructed at Argyle

An indigenous village, the remnants of which were discovered during excavation at the Argyle International Airport (AIA) site in 2010, is being reconstructed, and is set to become St­ Vincent and the Grenadines newest heritage site on completion.

This was announced by Annille Beache, tourism education officer within the Ministry of Tourism, at a press conference last Tuesday, January 19.

Dubbed the ‘Cayo Village’, this heritage site will be located on 3.6 acres of land {{more}}situated to the east of the airport site, and is expected to be completed and officially opened ahead of the completion of the AIA.

Beache noted: “As it comes on stream, there will be more information placed to the public and the media, so that we can update you as the process continues.”

This endeavour will see a collaboration between a research team from Leiden University (The Netherlands) and the Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture – in which two huts will initially be rebuilt.

“After such, we will take on the task of constructing more huts on the site,” she explained – noting that a total of nine huts will be rebuilt.

Also involved in this reconstruction project are the SVG Tourism Authority; National Parks, Rivers and Beaches Authority; International Airport Development Company; Alliance Française; North Windward Tourism Association; and the Garifuna Heritage Foundation.

The excavation of the site in 2010 uncovered nine huts, along with broken ceramic pottery and ceramic beads. Following this, a scale model of the site was built, based on what had been discovered and the writings of 17th century priest Father Breton.

A team from the Leiden University, headed by Dr Karin Hoffmann, is expected to arrive in SVG on January 24 for a period of two weeks. They will be assisted by members of the North Windward Tourism Association (Fancy chapter) in their reconstruction efforts.

When the Cayo Village is completed, it will also feature art and craft and indigenous foods for sale, along with light entertainment and washroom facilities. (JSV)