Curaçao Cultural Landscapes Project (CCLP)

The Curaçao Cultural Landscapes Project (CCLP) explores the long-term interactions between human societies and environmental change in the Caribbean, focusing on Curaçao. This interdisciplinary research integrates paleoecology, archaeology, and historical data to reconstruct past land use, vegetation dynamics, and fire histories. By analysing sediment cores, pollen, charcoal, and biomarker proxies, we investigate how land use practices have shaped the island’s landscapes from Indigenous settlement through European colonialism to the present day.

A key component of the CCLP involves coring major wetland sites such as Jan Thiel, Rif St. Marie, Sint Jorisbaai, and Santa Cruz Lagoon, providing insights into human-induced environmental changes, including plant domestication, colonial agriculture, and the impact of historic industries such as lime production. The project also examines urbanization processes and infrastructure development, assessing how settlements, fortifications, and resource extraction industries influenced environmental transformations. By linking these past processes to contemporary urban expansion and coastal development, the research supports discussions on regenerative land-use strategies, urban resilience, and sustainable conservation efforts in the Caribbean.