Introduction

Prior to the construction of the new Confucius Institute on the Mona campus,the Department of History and Archaeology conducted an archaeological impact assessment of the development zone. This area includes cultural remains associated with the Gibraltar Camp—a large refugee camp for evacuees from Gibraltar and other Europeans during the Second World War (1939-1945). The primary objectives were to document and preserve archaeological evidence related to this occupation along with shedding light on the everyday lives of people during this tumultuous period in global history.

Methodology

Archaeologists targeted areas at risk fromdestruction during building construction. Our work used standard technologies in archaeology like site mapping methods along with small test excavation units.

Results

Numerous finds were identified detailing the built environment and daily life of people who lived in Gibraltar Camp 1. Notable artefactsfrom this 2017assessment include a British coin dating to 1933, a Vicks Va-tro-nol bottle of nose drops dating to 1931, and a variety of tableware ceramics imported from Europe.

Conclusion

On-campus archaeology demonstrates the commitment of The UWI,Mona to researching and documenting Jamaica’s cultural resources. Additionally, this project underscores the importance of figuring archaeological impact assessments into the first stages of infrastructural development, which is a heritage management model applicable throughout the region.