The Arch Street Project: Multidisciplinary Research of a Philadelphia Cemetery

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "The Arch Street Project: Multidisciplinary Research of a Philadelphia Cemetery" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In 2016 human remains were discovered in Philadelphia at 218 Arch Street during a private construction project. The site was formerly the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia’s cemetery and, according to historical documents, the cemetery was relocated in 1860. The ensuing excavation in three phases during 2017 recovered nearly 500 burials. Research efforts surrounding the excavation and analysis of the remains created a multidisciplinary collaborative of academics and professionals dubbed the “Arch Street Project.” The court in Philadelphia granted permission for the Arch Street remains to be analyzed until September 2023. On September 1, all human remains, material culture, and associated samples were reburied at Mt. Moriah cemetery, the relocation destination from 1860. This session presents several of the research projects stemming from the Arch Street material. The synthesis of these projects into a final interpretation offers a fuller and broader picture of this unique site and provides an unprecedented glimpse into the city’s community from the colonial period to the early republic.