The Evolution of the Arch Street Project

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Arch Street Project: Multidisciplinary Research of a Philadelphia Cemetery" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In late 2016, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that human remains were uncovered at a local construction site, 218 Arch Street, formerly the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia (FBCP) cemetery. Over the course of 2017 three phases of excavation ranging from extreme salvage to controlled CRM excavation took place resulting in the recovery of nearly 500 individuals. This presentation recounts the efforts of a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional collaborative of researchers, students, and professionals assembled to assist in the study and stewardship of the remains. Known as The Arch Street Project, this approach has led to new methods and scientific applications towards understanding the site of the cemetery and the lifeways of the individuals interred therein. Central to the story of the Arch Street Project are many legal and ethical challenges that continue to be navigated. The presentation explores what the Arch Street Project has accomplished since 2017 and the work to be done once all remains and associated artifacts are reburied.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Arch Street Project: Multidisciplinary Research of a Philadelphia Cemetery   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38077.0