The Sinking of the Sacred: North Carolina’s Coastal Historic Cemetery Survey to Address Heritage Loss, Descendant Communities, and Cemetery Preservation

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.

The Coastal Historic Cemetery Survey Project undertaken by the NC Office of State Archaeology (OSA) is designed to identify, document, and assess the condition of historical cemeteries on state lands in nine coastal NC counties impacted by 2018’s Hurricanes Florence and Michael. Although all cemeteries remain threatened in the face of climate change and its effect, particular attention will be paid to recording cemeteries traditionally associated with African American communities (both enslaved and free). Often absent from past cemetery surveys and underrepresented in state records, it is critical to locate and study these often overlooked resources. This paper will show how OSA is using this broader project as a change to involve local African American descendant communities, engage HBCU students, and enhance the knowledge, appreciation, and support of coastal African American communities and their historic cemeteries.

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