PHILIPSBURG:--- On February 4th, at Leiden University in the Netherlands, standing before his doctoral committee at the Faculty of Archaeology, St. Kitts-born Cameron Gill, successfully defended and received his Doctorate. Now Dr. Cameron Gill is the tenth in a series of new Leiden University Doctorates in Archaeology on various islands in the Caribbean, which have been the focus of the NEXUS1492 European Union program over the last years. One of the main emphases of the NEXUS1492 program has been to stimulate more Caribbean nationals to get higher-level degrees in Archaeology, to be able to better assist their islands in heritage matters. On Dr. Gill's committee were Caribbean specialists from the region, including Dr. Corinne Hofman (Leiden University and Promoter), Dr. Jay Haviser (St. Maarten and Co-Promoter), and Dr. Reg Murphy (Antigua), all seen in the photo.
Dr. Gill's dissertation was on both land and underwater archaeology at the communities of Sandy Point and Fig Tree Bay on St. Kitts. In connection with his defense, a one-day symposium was also held at Leiden University on February 3rd, with various perspectives from across the Caribbean region regarding the role of Archaeology in the development of community and national self-confidence.
