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Unearthing OUR Past Through Archaeology

A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin, and culture is like a tree without roots- Marcus Garvey
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Documents get lost. Words get replaced. Stories are forgotten. But archaeology pieces all of these things together, to present a snippet of life in the past. I chose archaeology, or rather archaeology chose me, because I wanted to tell stories that were  not taught to me when I was in primary or secondary school. I did not realize how much of my own history, of African American history, that I did not know until I attended Howard University. Since then, my passion for unearthing the past through archaeology has continued to grow.

Hold the Pig Feet, Give me a Steak: A Master's Thesis

I started out in archaeology as a zooarchaeologist. I was interested in free African American foodways, having previously conducted a preliminary faunal analysis for Nicodemus, Kansas. My master's thesis uses four faunal assemblages from 19th and 20th century Maryland to understand how free blacks used their animal resources and how their consumption patterns reflected cultural, political, and economic changes in Maryland. At first the exploitation of animal resources by free African Americans reflected those established for enslaved sites in the Chesapeake region and South. Further analysis of the skeletal portions and meat cut quality indicated the emergence of two patterns that deviated from the enslaved assemblages. The two antebellum sites show less exploitation of wild animals and an access to and/or means to acquire high/moderate quality cuts of beef and pork. The postbellum sites show little to no high/moderate quality cuts of beef and pork with more exploitation of wild animals. In respect to food security and insecurity, the patterns observed suggest a response to broad and sustained change over the 19th and 20th century.

The Story: Contemporary problems faced by African Americans today, were also experienced by free African Americans in the past.

How Religion Preserved the Man: Exploring the History and Legacy of African Islam through the Yarrow Mamout (ca. 1736-1823) Archaeology Project
My best advice for life is to follow the opportunities, wherever they may lead. One of my mentor's offered me a chance to co-field direct this amazing project in Georgetown. The result was this dissertation. Through the archaeology project I was able to unearth centuries of attempts to silence the history and legacy of African Islam in the United States. My dissertation uses praxis grounded in critical race theory to challenge the dominant narrative that white privilege has constructed in order to confront, race, racism, and Islamophobia. By expanding the archaeological project beyond data, reports, and artifacts, I was able to start a meaningful conversation about Muslims, race, racism, Islamophobia, and white privilege. 
The Story: Despite attempts to silence it, the history and legacy of African Islam has endured for 400 years. It is more thann a path to salvation, it is a means through which a people have resisted racial oppression while preserving their minds and bodies. 
What Can I Do for You?
  • Cultural Resource Management/ Historic Preservation

    • Experience documenting archaeological resources and cultural resource management resources in a professional setting and/or field school

    • Experience with data management (e.g. MS Excel, ArcGIS, PastPerfect) and database design, construction, and maintenance (e.g. MS Access)

    • Experience performing and writing reports for all aspects of collections management, including accessioning, tracking, description, object photography, housing/rehousing, and handling historic artifacts

    • Experience reviewing project plans and designs to ensure compliance with historic preservation regulations

    • Review of contractor developed technical reports for sufficiency in meeting national cultural resources standards

    • Interior Collections Management System

      • Certificate Courses: ICMS Basic Navigation; ICMS Basic Data Entry for Cultural Resources; ICMS Advanced Data Entry; ICMS Import Export

  • Data Analysis and Interpretation:

    • Specialized training in zooarchaeological method and analysis; 19th century ceramic types; history and theory of historic preservation; preservation building technology; and collections management

    • Experience sorting artifacts in preparation for washing; follows laboratory procedures in determining the methods used in washing, drying and re-bagging of artifacts. ( approx. 20,000 for dissertation research)

    • Experience cataloging/accessioning artifacts in database according to set laboratory procedures and standards. Constructed system to assist with laboratory work.

    • Managed 12 undergraduate volunteers over the course of two semesters, teaching them the fundamentals of lab work

    • Project Management Information System (PMIS)

    • Certificate Courses: NPS PMIS Course I: Introduction; NPS PMIS Course 2: Create Project; NPS PMIS Course 3:  Managing Your PMIS Projects; NPS PMIS Course 4: Park/Unit Review of PMIS; NPS PMIS Course 5: Region/WASO Review and Funding of PMIS Project Funding Components

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