Atlantic African Diaspora

Atlantic African Diaspora

• Atlantic African Diaspora

• Differences between lives of the enslaved vs. lives of free blacks

• African-American identity

• The effects of racism

• Segregation & separate institutions

• Accommodation & resistance

• Routes to obtaining full US citizenship

• Consumption & consumer Choice

in the US southern colonies & Caribbean, slavery closely linked to the phenomenon of the plantation

• in the US southern colonies & Caribbean, slavery closely linked to the phenomenon of the plantation

• earliest work on slave sites in North American historical archaeology initiated by Charles Fairbanks in 1968, with the following themes:

• Evidence of daily life & survival (diet, housing, etc.)

• Search for cultural retentions = Africanisms?

Kingsley Plantation, Florida

• Kingsley Plantation, Florida

• Cannon’s Point, Simon’s Island, Georgia

• Butler Island, Georgia

• Carter’s Grove, Virginia

• Kingsmill Plantations, Virginia

• Rich Neck, Virginia

• Monticello, Virginia

• Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, Tennessee

Charles Fairbanks – Pioneering work on plantation sites in coastal Georgia (and Florida) from late 1960s (Fairbanks was at University of Florida)

• Charles Fairbanks – Pioneering work on plantation sites in coastal Georgia (and Florida) from late 1960s (Fairbanks was at University of Florida)

• South Carolina contract archaeology from mid-1970s developed new approaches and applied pattern recognition to plantation sites.

• In addition, Leyland Ferguson’s study of locally made (S Carolina) colono earthen-wares very influential (1977)

• Virginia lots of work done on early colonial sites and the big houses of planters.

• deposits of enslaved men and women were looked at to interpret their lives behind the ‘big house’ (Ivor Noel Hume - Colonial Williamsburg )

• from mid 1970s studies specifically looked at slavery (Bill Kelso’s work in Kingsmill, Virginia, etc)

Herskovits was a pioneer in Black studies who with his 1941 work, The Myth of the Negro Past (1990), almost single-handedly dismantled the long-standing belief that people of African descent did not retain any remnants of African culture or beliefs. These cultural retentions were termed by Herskovits to be "Africanisms.”

• Herskovits was a pioneer in Black studies who with his 1941 work, The Myth of the Negro Past (1990), almost single-handedly dismantled the long-standing belief that people of African descent did not retain any remnants of African culture or beliefs. These cultural retentions were termed by Herskovits to be "Africanisms.”

Charles Fairbanks excavated at the Kingsley Plantation in Duval County, Florida

• Charles Fairbanks excavated at the Kingsley Plantation in Duval County, Florida

• in 1968. This had been a slave training centre; he hoped to find “Africanisms”

• but was not sure what to expect

John Otto (a Fairbanks PhD student) excavated at Cannon’s Point

• John Otto (a Fairbanks PhD student) excavated at Cannon’s Point

• Instead of looking for residual ‘Africanisms’ he looked for evidence of status differences
• ceramics found at sites associated with slave, overseer, & master

Theresa Singleton’s undertook PhD research on Butler Plantation

• Theresa Singleton’s undertook PhD research on Butler Plantation

• Examined treatment of slaves at plantation infirmary

• Found evidence for self-medication, and care

Current research in Ghana and Cuba

• Current research in Ghana and Cuba

• Advocates Afro-centric perspective on the archaeology of the African Diaspora

• Notes that Fairbanks’ early efforts constituted a “moral mission” to remedy gaps in our knowledge

• Observes that contemporary archaeologists of the African Diaspora are more interested in social action

• Concern for descendant groups
• Interested in getting more African-Americans involved in historical archaeology

Move away from the archaeology of the “Great House of the Big Man”

• Move away from the archaeology of the “Great House of the Big Man”

• To the exploration of the lives of the “Big Man’s” slaves

• archaeologists see evidence humane treatment by masters

• Evidence commonly found:

• catted chimneys
• root cellars (sub-floor pits)
• Colono ware

Atlantic African diaspora

• Atlantic African diaspora
• Resistance
• Cultural resiliency/creolization
• Expressed through syncretism:
• in dress
• incorporate symbolism w/dress provided by slave masters
• religious syncretism
• recognizing elements of African foodways & food preparation techniques
• examining traditional medical practice & hygiene
• oral discourse - tales, songs, etc.

Fairbanks initiated a new area of research interest when he began excavating slave sites

• Fairbanks initiated a new area of research interest when he began excavating slave sites

• Initial interest in “filling in gaps” and answering “what” questions have shifted to “why” and “how” questions and towards social action

• African-American archaeology now one of the most vibrant areas of research in historical archaeology & now includes many archaeologists of African descent