Uncovering and Interpreting Plantation Life through Long-Term Collaborative Efforts at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Plantation Archaeology as Slow Archaeology" , at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Over the past three decades, archaeologists have engaged in a sustained research program to explore the history and archaeology of Poplar Forest plantation. This includes several long-term archaeological research projects which, over time, have provided new opportunities to partner with the local African American community. These projects include efforts to study and preserve a standing brick slave quarter; develop new outdoor exhibits designed to connect visitors with the Jefferson-era plantation community; and create a series of performances based on the lives of enslaved individuals who lived at Poplar Forest. Archaeological research aimed at restoring key elements of Jefferson’s retreat landscape combined with historical documents and artifact data provide the setting for these vignettes produced by members of the local African American community. Together these projects provide new opportunities for growth as part of long-term collaborative efforts in public archaeology at Poplar Forest.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020   •
• Plantation Archaeology as Slow Archaeology

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 1037