Reclaiming Identity at Forgotten Cemeteries in New York City

Archaeological investigations of forgotten cemeteries provide archaeologists with a unique opportunity to protect human remains from additional development and also to reclaim and restore the identities (in whole or in part) of individuals who, for various circumstances, lacked the necessary protections to ensure that their graves would be undisturbed in perpetuity. The papers in this session will describe recent case studies where archaeologists used a combination of documentary research, archaeological excavation (both invasive and non-invasive), and bioarchaeological analysis to investigate abandoned or redeveloped cemeteries throughout New York City, including family burial grounds, burial grounds of enslaved and free individuals of African descent, potter’s fields, and religious institutions. Archaeologists have worked closely with descendant communities/stakeholders to ensure that those representing the voiceless are heard and their interests represented. For each site, archaeologists have protected human remains and restored basic human identity to those indivudals who were otherwise forgotten.