Seventeenth-century foodways of british puritans at preacher’s cave, Eleuthera, Bahamas: zooarchaeological and historical evidence

Author

• Rose E. Gualtieri

Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Fradkin, Arlene

Abstract

British colonization of the Bahamian island of Eleuthera began in the mid-­‐ seventeenth century with the arrival of Puritans who came from Bermuda, seeking refuge from religious persecution. Funded by a group of British investors called the Eleutherian Adventurers, This first group of settlers shipwrecked and took refuge in a cave, now known as Preacher’s Cave, where they adapted to the island’s maritime tropical environment. Archaeological excavations conducted at Preacher’s Cave recovered a large quantity of faunal remains. This thesis presents an analysis of these materials and compares the resultant findings to existing historical records pertaining to this settlement. Whereas historical sources document chronic shortages of imported food supplies, the archaeological faunal assemblage demonstrates that the Preacher’s Cave settlers relied primarily upon available resources of the sea and nearby habitats.

Extent

72 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014.|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Includes bibliography.

Recommended Citation

Gualtieri, Rose E., "Seventeenth-century foodways of british puritans at preacher’s cave, Eleuthera, Bahamas: zooarchaeological and historical evidence" (2014). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019. 1096.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_6/1096

Identifier

FA00004117

Format

pdf