Additional Information

Available Through

JSTOR

Language

English

Notes

Abstract: The recent excavation of skeletal remains from the African Burial Ground in New York City and their current bioanthropological study and analysis at Howard University is contributing to our understanding of the conditions faced by Africans and their descendants in colonial North America. The complex nature of African enslavement points to the need for interdisciplinary and comparative research on African origins, as well as the biocultural interaction of members of the African Diaspora in the context of European enslavement practices. Research on variation in the biological health status of African-descent communities in the Americas is shown to contribute to knowledge of their social and cultural histories. Through public approval and support, our research team has been able to pursue a more sophisticated and extensive research plan than is usually allowed. The identities thus constructed are complex and compel novel questions. Additionally, our methodological approach empowers the descendant community to engage in its own cultural and historical construction.

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Appropriate Dissemination of Research
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to the Public
• Integrity of Research Methodology

CIfA Codes

• Principle 4: Responsibility for the availability of archaeological results within reasonable dispatch
• Principle 5: Recognition of aspirations of employees, colleagues and helpers in all matters of employment

Keywords & Terms

• Accountability
• Burials and Human Remains
• Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
• Impact on Communities - Local, Descendant, etc.
• Integrity of Research Methodology and Field Procedures
• Professional Standards
• Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
• Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups
• Standards of Data Collection, Recordation, Analysis

Topics & Issues

• Biological Anthropology/Archaeology
• Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
• Historical Archaeology
• Human Remains and Ethical Practice
• Interdisciplinary Research
• Interpreting the Past
• Public Engagement, Outreach, and Education
• Race in Archaeology