Golden Rock African Burial Ground

The name Golden Rock is derived from the nickname of the rocky island in the period of the eighteenth century when prosperity was very great.

In June 2021, the news that an international team of archaeologists had begun excavations at possibly one of the largest slave burial sites in the Caribbean spread around the world.

Several groups called attention to the way the excavations had been carried out and the lack of involvement of the local population, mostly of African descent.

[5] The Golden Rock African Burial Ground is of historical importance to the people of Sint Eustatius.

Protests by the inhabitants of Sint Eustatius against the controversial excavations led to increased awareness and attention for the African cultural heritage on the island.

Excavation site Golden Rock Burial Ground Sint Eustatius
Topographic map of Sint Eustatius with location and plantations with the names of the owners, measured and signed by order of the Dutch West India Company . R. Ottens 1775 (Library of Congress LOC 74691604)
The Unesco Golden Rock plaque for the African 18th century burial ground of the Golden Rock Plantation as part of the Routes of Enslaved Peoples Programme under which the burial ground was recognized as a Place of history and memory linked to enslavement and the slave trade