Dig Into St. Eustatius' Past at SECAR
Hands-on archaeology on the Caribbean's 'Historic Gem'
Why Go
Statia has more archaeological sites per square mile than almost anywhere in the Caribbean, and SECAR is where that buried history gets brushed back into the light. Walk in as a curious traveler, walk out having actually touched a 17th-century clay pipe stem you helped unearth.
The Experience
Housed in a modest building near the Oranjebaai waterfront, SECAR is part working lab, part visitor doorway into 400 years of Dutch, English, French, enslaved-African and indigenous history layered under the island's soil. Drop by during office hours to see finds being cleaned, cataloged and pieced together on long tables, chat with the resident archaeologists, and browse artifacts pulled from plantation ruins, colonial warehouses along the Lower Town, and pre-Columbian sites. If you have more time, book onto one of their Excavation Experiences — a half-day or multi-day program where you're handed a trowel and put to work on a real dig alongside the team. Public lectures pop up on the schedule regularly, and serious history buffs can join full field-school sessions. It's genuinely academic, refreshingly unpolished, and the enthusiasm of the staff is contagious.
What to Try
Sign up for the Excavation Experience — even the shortest option gets you kneeling at a live trench, sifting soil, and learning how to read stratigraphy. Ask to see the current 'find of the week' in the wet lab; there's almost always something remarkable on the drying rack, from blue glass trade beads to English case-bottle shards. If you're around on lecture night, go — the talks are free, informal, and pull in the island's small circle of history obsessives.
Insider Tip
Email or message SECAR a few days before you arrive on Statia rather than just showing up — they're a small team often out at field sites, and a heads-up almost guarantees someone will be there to walk you through the lab. If you're serious about joining a dig, ask about volunteer slots during their summer field school; a few days of labor gets you deeper access than any tour.
The Practical Stuff
Location: 1 Oranjebaaiweg, Oranjestad — walkable from most of Upper Town and a short stroll from the Lower Town waterfront. Free to visit the office/lab during weekday working hours; excavation programs and field schools carry a fee that supports the nonprofit's research. Wear closed shoes and sun protection if you're heading to a dig site. Cash (USD) is handy on Statia; card acceptance is patchy. Confirm current hours and program availability through SECAR directly, as schedules shift with the fieldwork calendar.
Pair It With
- Aquarium Dive Site — After digging through Statia's terrestrial past, drop into its underwater one — the Aquarium is one of the island's signature reef dives, minutes from SECAR.
- Alvin V. Courtar Park — A quiet green pocket in Oranjestad, perfect for decompressing and flipping through the history notes you just took at the lab.
- A Quiet Getaway - One-Bedroom Apartment Guide — A nearby low-key base for travelers who want to spend consecutive days at SECAR excavations without commuting across the island.
