MICHAEL STONER explaining the function of the alcoves in the Mikvah to Shamar Reece. (Picture by Cherie Pitt.)

by YVETTE BEST

SEVENTEEN STUDENTS of the University of the West Indies recently unearthed a significant piece of Jewish history.

During an excavation of the synagogue in The City, which started about a month ago, the students discovered a ritual cleansing bath known as the Mikvah.

Doctoral candidate Michael Stoner, who is in charge of the dig, said the task assigned by Dr Karl Watson was to find the Rabbi's house.

" . . . The floor plan was just awkward. But what we've found now is we have two houses; we have an 18th century house and a 19th century house," Stoner told the SUNDAY SUN yesterday.

He said the discovery of the Mikvah was really "amazing and transforming". The students found steps during the past week in the Mikvah.

"We came across the steps and we started following the steps, and one by one it took us all the way down to this area, which certainly looks ceremonial," Stoner explained.

He said the team had already reached about eight feet and there was evidence of a water source somewhere below.

"We could see down through the rocks, and we took a long-handled shovel down this hole, brought it back up and it had water on it. So whatever water source they used for this [the Mikvah,] apparently it's still working somewhat and we expect to go down quite a bit further," Stoner explained.

A number of domestic items associated with the house were discovered as well. They include pieces of glass, ceramics (these help with dating), material for plates, Barbadian red ware and half of a mould which was used to make jewellry.

"We're finding some quite extraordinary artifacts, in that I don't know that there is another collection exclusively from a Rabbi's house in the world . . . .We've found some ceremonial artifacts and I've seen more stemmed glassware or wine glasses here than anyplace else," he said.

Stoner is here in Barbados from South Carolina until the end of April in the first instance. He has participated in digs at a number of sites across the island, including Codrington College, Jubilee Gardens, Mason Hall Street and the Quaker Burial Ground.