TWENTY-FIVE persons are now certified archaeologists after successfully completing a course by the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, which included field research in various hinterland areas.

The students recently received their certificates from the Director of Culture Dr James Rose, who said he was very proud of their work.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Alfred King, lauded the students, stating that this is the period (Amerindian Heritage Month) that “we are reminded of the rich culture and heritage of the Amerindians, some of those who have helped to preserve our rich diversity in the indigenous culture”.
King said that their actions will help to promote the awareness of archaeology locally and aid development of indigenous heritage.
Mention was made of two outstanding performers, Louisa Daggers and Soyini McPherson. Mc Pherson is also a University of Guyana Environmental Science student. The two are among a group which discovered bone fragments indentified as that of a Siriki man, from 4,000years ago. Louisa Daggers is now the holder of a Master’s Degree in anthropology, after attending Boise State University in the United States via a scholarship.
The Walter Roth Museum was founded in 1974 from the collection of late Guyanese archaeologist, Dr. Denis Williams. The museum of Anthropology and Art History (as it was originally called) was the first museum of anthropology in the English speaking Caribbean. The museum’s collection includes excavated artifacts from the ten administrative regions of Guyana, as well as several other small ethnographic and archaeological collections.