The Conservation of African Burial Grounds in New York State

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

As the United States currently struggles with the issue of racism, one of several ways archaeologists have been able to positively contribute to the dialogue is through the conservation of sites related to African and African American history. This is especially true for undocumented and unmarked African burial grounds that are susceptible to destruction from neglect as well as construction and urban expansion. Although the arduous and difficult work is currently ongoing, the labor of archaeologists in New York State over the last several decades has made progress in the conservation of several African burial grounds. With a primary case study of the Pine Street Cemetery in Kingston, NY, the process to conserve and protect an unmarked African burial ground through archaeology, community involvement, and social justice activism is illustrated and acknowledged.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SHA 2022 General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology