UG Press Publishes First of its Kind Book – ‘The Archaeology of Guyana” Will Significantly add to the Existing Literature on the History of Guyana’s Archaeology.

The University of Guyana Press (UGP) officially launched the first publication of its kind; the Archaeology of Guyana, Second Edition, which will now significantly add to the limited existing literature on the history of Guyana’s archaeology.

It was a moment of pride and accomplishment for authors; Dr Mark Plew and UG’s  Louisa Daggers, AbD, who have been engaged in the project for a number of years. The book provides a much-needed synthesis of Guyana’s position in South American prehistory.  Using the Holocene as a temporal backdrop—from which most of the region’s archaeology is known—the authors were able to capture a summary of research that has been done over the years which has helped bring to light the extent and richness of human occupation in Guyana.

One of the authors of the book, Ms Louisa Daggers, a lecturer in the Department of Language and Cultural Studies, University of Guyana, stood proudly and delivered remarks on the cultural importance of the book to the Guyanese populace and by extension the Caribbean.

Ms Daggers explained that the publication seeks to redefine over 100 years of research into less technical phenomena. “It really is upon us to safeguard the heritage as it is at risk to changing developmental dynamics including illicit trade, mining and a global phenomenon, climate change and, yes, climate change, it does have sites vulnerable to flooding, to erosion and damages over time and all of this requires us to be more proactive in the management and preservation of our heritage,” she expressed.

The author believes that Guyanese archaeology is important and that it constitutes a very significant aspect of global heritage. “Guyanese archaeology is one which can unify us if it’s acknowledged, but we must safeguard this heritage for the future,” the author urged.

Not only will this book be a valuable resource for those interested in the history of human occupation in northern South America, but it will be an important point of reference for scholars working elsewhere such as the Caribbean which likely had ties to Guyana at different points in time.

During the book launch at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT), Turkeyen Campus, University of Guyana’s Vice-Chancellor, XI, Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin, congratulated the authors of the publication noting that their excellent work captured in the book will add significantly to the existing literature on Guyana’s archaeology.

The VC expressed: “I am really happy to see this book completed because it took such a long time to get done. Not only because of COVID but because the Editor-in-Chief of the University of Guyana Press  Prof. George K. Danns insisted that anything that had to be addressed in this book had to be done perfectly.”

The Vice-Chancellor acknowledged that the book “is a wonderful work of love and labour. This is a wonderful addition to a very small but growing literature on the archaeology of Guyana.” The Vice-Chancellor also praised the work of the UG Press, noting that the UGP is aiming to publish at least one book per quarter in this initial phase.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, who also served previously as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, delivered remarks on the historical value of Archaeology in Guyana, noting that Guyana has a deep archaeological history but it has not been captured and documented in a way that future generations will benefit.

Dr Anthony reflected that while he was Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport he recognised that archaeology in Guyana was not properly highlighted and he sought to implement a programme with one of the authors Dr Mark Plew to involve local students in the museum field school. “We wanted local people to go out into field, I think that led to us building capacity. Today, Ms Daggers is a product of that programme and I am so proud to celebrate this book,” the Minister added.

In his brief remarks, the Chair of the UGP Editorial Board; Professor Danns, applauded the Press and the Vice-Chancellor for their efficient work in ensuring that the book was materialized. Professor Danns expressed: “I would personally like to thank the VC for her vision. As the Press has gone through a period of structural adjustment and it is now open and running.”

Copies of the book were handed over to the University of Guyana Library repositories, Guyana National Library, National Toshaos Council and the South Rupununi District Council as well as all the indigenous persons present at the launch.

Present at the launch were: the Ambassadors of Chile and Suriname, Mr Juan Pino, British High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Jane Miller, US Embassy representative Deputy Chief of Mission, Ms Adrienne Galanek, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Lenox Shuman, members of the Senior Management Team, and other staff of UG. The event was held on July 12, 2022.

Copies of the book are available at the University of Guyana Campus Store and the University of Guyana Press at a cost of GY $5,500. The University of Guyana Campus Store can be reached by clicking: https://store.uog.edu.gy/productcategory/books while UGP Senior Publications Officer, Ms Melissa Bess can be reached via cellular phone at 592-624-6160.

To view the proceedings of the launch kindly click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jz6OdCD_zq8Q5NJ7WNT3TblEoYDTuC5i/view?usp=sharing

To view the photographs kindly click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yIf7NyhdoTFQ3_JjbqVZ2rtolOR4AHhN?usp=sharing

Other books by UG Press currently available are:

• Caribbean Diaspora Engagement: People, Policy, Practice Guyana’s Oil Odessey
• Dr Yesu Persaud, An Iconic Business Leader (Exemplar Series)
• Dr Jay Sobhraj, An Impactful Life Shaped by Passion, Family and Discipline (Exemplar Series)