24/08/2026
Digging Deeper Into Our Heritage.
Through the Researching the Environment through Archaeology and Community Heritage (REACH) Project, the National Trust of Trinidad and Tobago, in collaboration with The University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine, and Northwestern University, is working to uncover and document these stories.
Now in its second field season, REACH returned to Palmiste Park in August 2026, building on discoveries made during the 2025 field season. The research explores the histories of indentureship, post-indentureship and community formation, while also uncovering evidence of a much longer Indigenous history within the Palmiste landscape.
Combining archaeology, archival research, oral history and community knowledge, the project explores how people created homes, cultivated land, managed water, built communities and developed a sense of belonging. From workers’ houses and agricultural fields to pathways, ponds and workshops, these everyday spaces help us better understand the lived experiences of generations who came before us.
A key part of the project is community heritage. Residents are not simply audiences for archaeological research—they are important holders of knowledge. Oral histories from communities around Poodhai Lagoon, Puzzle Island and Palmiste are helping researchers understand settlement, farming, changing landscapes, flooding, relocation and the ways communities adapted to their environments.
REACH is also investing in the next generation of heritage professionals. The 2026 Field School, held from 10–22 August, provided UWI History students with hands-on training in archaeological survey, excavation, mapping, recording, artefact processing and interpretation, alongside practising archaeologists and heritage professionals.
Through research, education, partnership and community participation, REACH is helping to build local archaeological capacity while creating new opportunities to research, document and interpret the landscapes that form part of our shared heritage.
