Mapping the Path to Preservation: Integrating community and research at the Newtown and Chemung Battlefields

Summary

The inclusion of community is vital for the protection of historic sites.  However, issues related to present day property rights, economic development, and historic struggles can present obstacles for integrating communities into a preservation project. The Revolutionary War’s Sullivan-Clinton campaign involves a complex history centered on the violent conflict between Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), Delaware, and Continental forces.  Historic tensions between the Haudenosaunee and the American and New York State governments are often traced back to this campaign. Since 2008, Binghamton University’s Public Archaeology Facility (PAF) has conducted an archeological preservation project on the campaign’s two major battles, Newtown and Chemung.  This paper presents the steps used in moving beyond research to community engagement. Using innovative techniques for research analysis and the presentation of results, PAF has developed new methods of community engagement that help to integrate the various community views and interests related to the histories and landscapes of these battlefields.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Digging With The National Park Service American Battlefield Protection Program - New Battlefield Research To Start The Next 100 Years   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 364