Abstract
It happens all the time in archaeology. One begins what promises to be a routine excavation of a familiar structure. Assumptions are formed about how things are supposed to work in a given situation—assumptions based on education, experience, and the spatial layout of sites. Then unexpected features are encountered. One anticipates a solution, but it never quite emerges; and in the end one reluctantly settles for interpretations that are not entirely logical or satisfactory. Such is the case with the recent excavations at the north windmill on Betty’s Hope Estate in Antigua, West Indies, now the site of a major restoration project. To understand the problem posed by the Betty’s Hope windmill—How did the sugar juice get from the windmill to the factory?—the reader first must understand the spatial layout and operation of a sugar plantation.
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References
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Goodwin, C. Betty’s hope windmill: An unexpected problem. Hist Arch 28, 99–110 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03374183
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03374183