Below the Leaves of Grass: Collaborative Archaeology and Art as Restorative Justice

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "A Tribute to the Legacy of Leland Ferguson: A Journey From Uncommon Ground to God's Fields", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In his research, through his mentorship and throughout his life, Leland Ferguson emphasized the power of narrative and visual arts to enhance our connections with the past. He consistently highlighted and incorporated artworks in his presentations, publications, and personal expression. In this paper, as a reflection of this practice, I discuss how archaeologists can collaborate with artists to develop reformative efforts to challenge, erase and transform the dominant histories and symbols to offer reimagined representations of the past for the public. I highlight the particular case of Gamble Plantation in Ellenton Florida, a mid-19th century sugar estate that has been at the center of discussions concerning historical justice, confederate monuments, heritage, and white supremacy. I present the current outcomes of collaborative work between archaeologists and artists to rectify centuries of silencing, erasing and excluding of Black voices and histories at heritage sites and in public spaces.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• A Tribute to the Legacy of Leland Ferguson: A Journey From Uncommon Ground to God's Fields

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow