© COPYRIGHT by Kristin Marie Montaperto 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DEDICATION To my family PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE NORTHAMPTON SLAVE QUARTERS: COMMUNITY COLLABORATION BY Kristin Marie Montaperto ABSTRACT The public has many different views and misconceptions about archaeology. Archaeologists practicing within the subfields of public and community archaeology work towards erasing these misconceptions by conducting collaborative research with descendant populations and community groups. However, this collaborative approach is not at the forefront of all archaeologists’ agendas. For some archaeology projects in the United States, the pressures of completing a project on time and within budget becomes the primary focus. It is the importance of collaborative research and community engagement that form the basis of my dissertation. Using the Northampton Slave Quarters and Archaeological Park in Mitchellville, Maryland, I demonstrate the importance of collaborative research. The slave quarters of the Northampton plantation are located on a preserved half-acre parcel of land within a townhouse community in Lake Arbor. The African American descendants of those who lived and worked at Northampton have been active participants of the project since the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s (M-NCPPC) Archaeology Program began in 1988. The M-NCPPC Archaeology Program not only collaborated with ii the African American descendants but actively engaged the surrounding communities through outreach projects. Starting with a base in community collaboration, cooperative education, and archaeological ethics, I demonstrate how these concepts are pertinent in archaeological research. Although I argue the Northampton Slave Quarters and Archaeological Park’s primary significance revolves around the active descendants, its physical location also played a major role in its creation. Northampton is located within Prince George’s County, a majority African American county, thus they have a majority political voice. Both the descendants and County are advocates for protecting African American resources thus creating a unique situation for this archaeological park. It is through Northampton that I show how collaborative archaeological research not only created an understanding and trust between archaeologists and descendants but has sustained that relationship to this day. iii PREFACE In the summer of 2007 I attended a family reunion in upstate New York. It was my grandfather’s side of the family (my mother’s father). While there my family (mom, a couple of her cousins and their grown children, my grandmother, and my great aunt) spent some time on our family’s “ancestral” property. It had been more than ten years since I was last there but this visit was different. First, some background on my family. My great-great-grandfather was a Danish missionary who originally envisioned working in Asia but was instead placed in the United States in the 1880s. He started out in the mid-west and eventually moved to in New York to the small rural town of Laurens (about twenty miles south of Cooperstown, New York). He purchased many acres and built a house on the property. Over time the land was divided among his children, however, the main parcel that contained the house remains in the family. The original house on the property burned down in the 1930s. Prior to this his son-in-law (my great grandfather) began building a cabin. The cabin was built on the foundation of what was originally going to be a garage next to the house. He completed the cabin in the late 1930s after the house burned. My grandfather and great aunt remember helping their father (my great grandfather) build the cabin. My great-great- grandfather’s other son-in-law eventually built a new house on the property. Through iv marriage my great grandfather inherited a portion of the original land. When he retired in the 1950s he purchased the main house from his brother-in-law and moved to Laurens. While at the reunion in 2007, my great aunt and I looked through photographs of her helping build the cabin. In the late 1970s after my great grandmother passed away and my great grandfather was in his early 90s, the main house burned down but the cabin remained unharmed. The main house was never rebuilt but my aunt (my mother’s younger sister) and uncle purchased the property after my great grandfather’s death. My aunt lives in New York City and frequently travels to Laurens to maintain the cabin and barn (the only surviving structures), along with the property. Frequently when digging through the ground she finds objects from our family’s past (e.g. ceramics, glass, metal). Although I have known my family’s history through stories, pictures, and visits to the property, my visit to Laurens in 2007 took on new meaning. I attribute this to my background in anthropology and archaeology. Not only can I identify the artifacts and significant features on the property but I have a personal connection to this site – it is my family’s past, my heritage. Understanding the significance of descendant collaboration is also seen firsthand in hearing the stories of my grandfather and great aunt (his younger sister). As things are accidentally unearthed on the property my great aunt will occasionally remember it. She recognizes the old iron keys as those used by her great grandfather to open sardine cans. Seeing a metal toy car brings back my grandfather’s childhood memories of when he lost that toy. Hearing these memories along with seeing the photographs and objects reifies the importance of place, family, and collaborative research. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There are a number of people I would like to acknowledge that played a part in my dissertation. First, I would like to thank the Hawkins family and their continual enthusiasm and dedication. Without them there would be no project. To Iris McConnell, Elizabeth Gordon, and Raymond Smith, your stories, insight, and help throughout the entire archaeological project have demonstrated what an amazing family you have. It is through your collaborations that we have been able to build the interpretations of your family’s ancestral property of Northampton. I will especially cherish all of my conversations with Iris and her wealth of knowledge. Next, I thank my dissertation committee of Joe Dent, Tricia Samford, and Dan Sayers. Joe not only served as chair of my committee but endured the long journey. Our meetings and phone conversations over the years have been a great help through this process. To Tricia I appreciate all of the comments, suggestions, and insights. Her upbeat presence helped me through the process. I also owe my thanks to her staff at the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s MAC Lab and their x-ray assistance. To Dan I am grateful for his willingness to help out at the end. He was not only fast and efficient with his comments but provided me with new perspective. From the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Archaeology Program in Prince George’s County, I would like to thank all of the staff I have worked with over the years including Don Creveling, Mike Lucas, and Matt vi Cochran. I especially thank Don Creveling for our initial talk about possible dissertation topics and offering me a job on the same day. Don provided me with information and support from day one. I additionally thank Mike Lucas for not only creating some of the CAD maps but spending time to give me a CAD tutorial. Mike provided interpretative assistance and was a great soundboard. He additionally provided plenty of moral support, even if it was in the form of random entertainment. From the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History I thank Doug Ubelaker. Doug has been a remarkable teacher and colleague who I greatly admire. He has been supportive, patient, and provided me with opportunities I would have never imagined. Christmas escapes out to the country are something I look forward to every year. I additionally thank Ken Cohen and Charles Musgrove of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Both helped provide information and interpretative assistance. To my “dissertation support group” of Debbie Taub, Jane Brooks, and Tammy Sweeney, thank you for being there and helping me through the process. Your friendship has been vital to my graduate survival from late nights in Hurst to 80s nights. I would also like to thank my numerous other friends who have also been there throughout. I have appreciated all of your support, patience, and listening ears. And finally I thank my family. Although some are no longer here to see me finish, your support has been incredible. To my parents, Heather, and Brendan, thank you for dealing with me through what seemed like an unending project. You were always there to listen and talk to. Your support and goofiness have helped me through it all. I also thank vii Tyler, Lindsay, and Evan for being the perfect distractions when I needed to take a break. And thank you Kelbi for patiently dealing with my long days and nights when I was writing. You always gave me my space and periodically checked on me to remind me to take a break and eat. To my entire family you have instilled in me the importance of laughter and unconditional love, qualities that helped me survive. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................ ii PREFACE.........................................................................................................................