The Burial Ground at Otstonwakin: Native American Mortuary Practices in 18th Century Pennsylvania

Summary

The multinational village of Otstonwakin was a key nexus of colonial and indigenous interaction where colonial identities were expressed as well as constituted through material remains. The sacred landscape that was used by the residents of Otstonwakin to bury their dead was disturbed by road construction projects in both the late 1800s and early 1900s. While the full extent of the cemetery associated with Otstonwakin is unknown, the burial ground is represented by four documented graves and a wide array of funerary offerings, including a rare brass embellished fabric garment. Through an analysis of eyewitness accounts, photographs, and curated material evidence, I discuss the significance of the striking mixture of Native-made artifacts and imported European commodities uncovered at the burial ground. The mortuary practices attest to both change and continuity and reveal the creation of new constellations of material objects in ritual contexts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

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

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 21815