PHILIPSBURG--The finalised Geographic Information System (GIS) Cultural-Historical Map of St. Maarten was presented to Acting Secretary General for Education and Culture Claudette Forsythe-Labega on Monday morning by archaeologist Jay Haviser, Amsterdam city archaeologist Jerzy Gawronski, and Bureau Monument and Archaeology (BMA) representatives Bas van Sprew and Sander Ijzerman.
Forsythe-Labega received the map on behalf of Education and Culture Minister Rhoda Arrindell. She said the minister was "excited" about the map, as it was "an important acquisition" for the ministry as well as the island in general.
She added that the map would "aid the Culture Policy" as an awareness tool. The island's population is diverse and with tourism as its main economic pillar, highlighting cultural and historical sites is important.
Haviser said the map was "an educational and strategic planning tool" for all parties involved: government, private sector and non-governmental organisations.
Gawronski explained during the presentation in Dr. A.C. Wathey Legislative Hall that the map had been built on framework of the 1910-1916 Werbata Map of the island with inlay of the prehistoric sites and later archaeological ones. It maps tangible (buildings, ruins) and intangible (cultural references) sites. The latter are based on anthropologist Sanny Ensing's research during the past year.
The map lists 88 tangible sites, 10 intangible sites and the 464 Werbata sites. Of the Werbata sites, 353 are historical line elements (roads and rock walls), 92 building clusters (houses, plantation ruins), and 19 beaches/bays, as these are important in collaboration for locating prehistoric sites and marine archaeology, BMA Senior Advisor Strategy and Policy Bas van Sprew explained.
The Werbata maps were the first topographic maps made of Aruba, Cura�ao, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and St. Maarten in the early 1900s. They were compiled by Johannes Vallentin Dominicus Werbata. No map of Saba was made.
The then in-progress GIS map was shared with the cultural, heritage and other linked organisations in February. This exercise was part of fine-tuning the map to include as many as possible of the island's historical and cultural sites.
The map was developed in collaboration with BMA, Foundation Netherlands Antilles Anthropology and Memory Management NAAM, St. Maarten Archaeological and Research Centre Simarc and local NGOs such as St. Maarten Monument Foundation.
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