PSU Magazine Spring 1999

The remains of 427 African men, women, and children are providing a truth that was buried for three centuries. D n 1991, construction crews excavating footings for a 34- story skyscraper near the western end of New York City's Brooklyn Bridge clawed down through 20 feet of dirt and uncovered a trove of human bones. Children, infants, women and men--carefully laid to rest centuries before--came hurtling to the surface in a steel maw. At first crews continued their heed– less efforts-ravaging what would prove to be one of America's most remarkable archeological sites. As the destruction continued, a public outcry brought then New York City Mayor David Dinkins to the crater's edge. After some political skirmishing, the site was turned over to a profes– sional archeology team. Delicately brushing through the soil, the archeol– ogists found a hoard of near-forgotten American history-wood coffins so decomposed all that remained was soil stained by the decayed wood, bones of newborns cradled in their mother's arms, and a woman's skeleton mysteri– ously draped in seashells. As many as 20,000 individuals– half believed to be children-are thought buried on the six-acre site. Dating back to at least 1696, the African Burial Ground is the only known interment site for colonial 8 PSU MAGAZINE SPRING 1999 people of African descent that predates the American Revolution. Forgotten for nearly 200 years, the burials are now revealing their stories to a team of nationally respected archeologists, including Kofi Agorsah, acting chair of the Black Studies Department. Agorsah is one of the world's few experts in archeology of the African diaspora-Africans forcibly removed from their homes and enslaved in settlements on New World shores. Former head of the University of Ghana's Museum of Archeology, Agorsah writes extensively on African archeology around the world and continues his own investigation into archeological sites of escaped slaves known as Maroons. "What kinds of behavior patterns resulted in these burial practices? What kind of ritual led to this burial? These," says Agorsah, "are my interests." Burial artifacts are often the only way to gain a true representation of people whose lives written history has ignored or distorted. The treasures of King Tut, the tombs of China– through their artifacts forgotten people tell the stories of their lives. Archeologists call this "ground truth." "The 18th century-the period during which the burial ground was By Melissa Steineger More than 40 percent of the graves contain children's remains. Ongoing research point.I to disease, poor nutri– tion, and work stress as contributors to high mortality.