

African Diaspora Archeology: A Collaboration with Descendants
2024 Archeology Month
Maryland Archeology Month 2024 highlights archeologists collaborating with African American descendant communities to conduct archeological research, preserve cultural heritage, and address historical injustices. These collaborations aim to incorporate African American traditional knowledge, perspectives, and interests into archeological studies through community-based participatory research, where community members actively contribute to research design, excavation, interpretation, and dissemination of findings.
We hope you enjoy the excellent case studies in this booklet highlighting great collaborations among archeologists and African American descendant communities in Maryland. These collaborations foster mutual respect and equitable sharing of knowledge, which result in more comprehensive and culturally sensitive interpretations of Maryland’s past.
Table of Contents
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Introduction - Caitlin Adams, Macie Clerkley, Katherine Sterner, and Zachary Singer
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The Archeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace, Julie M. Schablitsky
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Engaging the Descendant Community of Catoctin Furnace, Elizabeth Anderson Comer
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Laurel Cemetery Memorial Project, Elgin Klugh and Isaac Shearn
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Learning from Descendants of Jesuit Enslavement, Laura Masur
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Witnesses of Wallville: Documenting a Rural Southern Maryland Community, Alex Glass, Patricia Samford, and Scott Strickland
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Descendants and Archeologists Investigating the Dorsey Site in Sugarland, Maryland, Tara L. Tetrault and Suzanne Johnson
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St. Mary's Cemetery - Why Collaboration in Archeology Matters, Kelly Palich and Deacon Allen Greene
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Field Session Teaser - Hunting the Maryland Monster, Matthew D. McKnight