Editing Ethics in Caribbean Archaeology: ‘It’s the beginning of a conversation’
Ethics in Caribbean Archaeology, a new open access volume edited by Felicia Fricke, Eduardo Herrera Malatesta, and Maaike de Waal, is already generating significant interest across the region and beyond.
Opening a debate
The editors emphasise that the book brings together a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds. Rather than prescribing a single ethical framework, it presents reflections, disagreements, and best‑practice suggestions from specialists across the field.
Maaike highlights the breadth of topics: human remains, storage, digital ethics, community engagement, and more. ‘It’s not about saying “this is how it should be.” It’s about showing the many ways people are thinking through ethical challenges.’
Eduardo adds a crucial dimension: the need for a decolonial approach. ‘Colonialism is fundamentally unethical. You have to have a strong decolonial sense to do ethical research. This book takes a stand: teaching by doing, not by saying.’
Caribbean archaeology
While many ethical issues in archaeology are global, the editors stress that the Caribbean context requires specific attention.
Maaike explains that the idea for the book grew out of discussions about ethics within the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology, related to the compilation of a Code of Ethics for its affiliated researchers that was published in 2022. The region’s deep entanglement with colonialism, its island‑based research structures, and its diverse legal and political systems mean that practices from elsewhere cannot simply be imported.
Felicia puts it plainly: ‘A lot of these ethical issues need specific Caribbean solutions. You cannot just take methods from other parts of the world and apply them uncritically.’
Students and community focus
Several chapters have resonated strongly with the editors. Felicia praises the Seferidou et al. chapter written by students who conducted a literature review on how bioarchaeologists report findings and engage with the public. ‘Very specific, very achievable, and with concrete results and solutions.’
Eduardo highlights the chapter by Antczak et al., which examines heritage conflicts in Venezuela, Bonaire, and Trinidad. It offers grounded, experience‑based recommendations for ethical collaboration with Indigenous communities.
Across the volume, the editors note a shared theme: solutions are not fixed, but emerge from practice, dialogue, and humility.
Amplifying voices
A core goal of the project was to amplify Caribbean voices and create space for students and early‑career researchers. Eduardo stresses that this distinguishes the book from more traditional, top‑down academic volumes.
Felicia adds that the editorial team invested heavily in creating a space where authors could discuss and refine their ideas together by organising hybrid workshops in Leiden (2023) and Copenhagen (2024).
For the editors themselves, the process was transformative. Maaike reflects: ‘It makes you critically reflect on your own work.’ Felicia agrees: ‘I’ve changed my publication practices after editing the book.’
Reception
The book was officially launched in February 2026, at the Faculty of Archaeology in Leiden. The event was well attended, both in person and online, and the response has been enthusiastic. Eduardo notes strong interest from colleagues, not only downloading the open‑access version but purchasing physical copies as well. Felicia sees this as evidence that the book fills a real gap in the field.
Maaike shares that universities in the Caribbean are already adding volume chapters to their teaching curricula. ‘A new generation of Caribbean archaeologists, many from Caribbean backgrounds, are thinking about these issues.’
Free download
The edited volume ‘Ethics in Caribbean Archaeology’ is free to download from the website of the University Press of Florida.