Looking Through Dirty Dishes: The Preliminary Results of a Ceramic Analysis at Pandenarium (36ME253)

Summary

In recent years, African Diaspora archaeology has become one of the most impactful means by which archaeologists supplement our current understanding of the past. Not only does this subfield have the potential to benefit descendant and local communities, but it also enables professionals to fill in the blank gaps left by the systematic disenfranchisement and intentional illiteracy of an entire group of people. One site with the potential to enhance our understanding of the African Diaspora is Pandenarium (36ME253) a freed African American settlement in western Pennsylvania. Current research at Pandenarium focuses on a comparative ceramic analysis with nearby European American sites, other freed African American sites, and slave quarters at plantation sites. The goal of this is to determine the socio-economic status of individuals living at Pandenarium, along with preferred food preparation methods and participation in local and regional markets. The preliminary results of the analysis featured in this paper are a foundation for future comparative studies featuring Pandenarium and will aid in the recognition of Pandenarium as a dynamic African Diaspora site deserving of further archaeological attention.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20594