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20 century, more modern processing operations were 1. THE INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE OF BARBADOS: THE
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moved out from historic establishments and the national STORY OF SUGAR AND RUM (TL)
monument authorities leaned towards its protection as The area planned for nomination includes
a conservation area). But here the similarity basically representative elements of sugar cultivation and
ends - the differences are due partly to the olive groves processing. The selected areas have evolved over
themselves in the rolling countryside (Ayvalik) and the hop several centuries and are an example of both surviving
fields in the flat floodplain around the river Ohře (Žatec historical evidence and the continuing traditions of
and the Landscape of Saaz Hops) and to the landscape sugar processing. Barbados is the example of the
context of their own towns, which are the holders of first sugar-growing and sugar-producing island, an
these traditions. The diversity of the towns results exceptional example of a cultural landscape that was
from both different climatic and landscape conditions influenced by both Europeans and Africans in the
(Ayvalik is a seaport, Žatec is an inland town on an context of the Atlantic Ocean.
important river, and more recently on a railway junction).
On a more detailed scale, the differences can also be The sugar cane fields (plantation complexes), technical
evidenced by the nature of the buildings that make up infrastructure and factories and residential buildings
the towns, determined by a different cultural region and lie on the slopes of the hills and in the island’s valleys.
architectural traditions, as well as the structural nature of The Industrial Heritage of Barbados: The story of Sugar
the processing and storage buildings concerned. and Rum is an example illustrating the impact and
influence of human settlement, slave labour and the
production of Caribbean sugar and rum from the mid-
VIII. SUGAR CANE 17 century to the 19 century in a natural landscape.
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Sugar cane, from which sugar is made, is a perennial, very The uniqueness of the landscape lies, among other
bulky grass with upright massive stalks. Each stalk has an things, in the local soil rich in nutrients. The property
average of about 20 to 40 nodes and is filled with a soft represents a combination of land, labour, capital and
pulp containing up to 20 % sugar (especially sucrose, adapted cultural traditions specific to the development
with a small amount of fructose and glucose), which is of cultivation. It is also a testament to the patronage,
stored here as a product of photosynthesis. Sugar cane is control and protection of a highly prized sugar cane
propagated on plantations exclusively by stem cuttings. area, which contributed to the economic development
of the British Empire, which played a significant role in
Sugar cane leaves reach a length of 100-200 cm and the history of the geo-cultural Caribbean region. 205
a breadth of about 7 cm and their arrangement is
alternating. The leaves are either green, yellowish In terms of comparison with this, it is possible with the
or purple, some varieties can have coloured stripes. Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops property to find
The fruit of the sugar cane is a cereal. However, similar features, such as the trend towards commercial
on plantations, the inflorescence of sugar cane is success, and thus in the socio-economic aspect
undesirable because the flow of the sugar in the stems (linking the production landscape and the processing
decreases with the flower, thus reducing the value of the centre). Residents of the Barbados cultural landscape
plant to the grower. were able to turn sugar production into a very
profitable business, similar to the hop growers on the
A constant temperature above 30 °C is needed to grow nominated property. However, the actual landscape,
sugar cane, so this crop is grown mainly in the tropics the character of the plant and the processing methods,
and subtropics. and in particular the cultural-historical context, forms
of settlement and related technical infrastructure are
Sugar cane is harvested by special harvesting machines. completely different.
In places where the machines cannot reach, the tradition
of manual harvesting with machetes continues. After
the harvest, the cane stalks are transported to sugar IX. DATE PALMS
refineries, where they are pressed and sugar is produced The date palm has been prized since antiquity and
from the extruded juice. In addition to the sugar itself, comes from the area of present-day Iraq. The date
by-products such as molasses (waste sugar syrup) and palm grows up to about 23 metres. Its trunk, heavily
bagasse (remnants of stalks after pressing) are also articulated by the stumps of old leaf bases, terminates
important. Molasses is used to make rum (1 litre of in a crown of graceful, pinnate leaves about 5 metres
molasses is used to make 1 lighter of rum), as well as long. Dates are fruits that vary greatly in shape, size,
gin, vodka, yeast and other products. Molasses is also colour, quality and consistency of the flesh, according
a suitable feed for livestock. Pressed stalks are burned to the conditions of culture and the variety. In Europe
in sugar refineries or used as a raw material for the the date palm is cultivated principally as a decorative
production of paper, pasteboard and plastic sheeting. It tree on the shores of the Mediterranean and its leaves
is therefore again an important plant with a wide range are used by Christians on Palm Sunday and by Jews at
of uses in the cultivating society. the Festival of Tabernacles.