Skeletons in the Cabinet: Historical Memory and the Treatment of Human Remains Attributed to the Schenectady Massacre of 1690

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Historical Memory, Archaeology, And The Social Experience Of Conflict and Battlefields" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

As the first historic district in New York State, the Stockade Neighborhood of Schenectady is distinguished by a rich collective memory. Paramount among these historical memories is the Massacre of 1690. The story of the 'massacre' has been venerated through first-hand accounts, ballads, memorials, and even reenactments. While this metanarrative is ever present, the aftermath of the event remains buried under both the soil and political obfuscation. This paper discusses the numerous skeletal remains recovered in the neighborhood, many of which have been attributed to the massacre with little archaeological evidence of such. These findings allow for a critical examination of not only the massacre, but also shifts in the methodologies associated with the excavation and post exhumation treatment of human remains. The authors offer indications to the ‘final resting places’ of the individuals recovered in the Stockade District and their role in the commemoration of the Schenectady Massacre.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• Historical Memory, Archaeology, And The Social Experience Of Conflict and Battlefields

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 603