Archaeologists find hidden African side to noted 1780s Md. building

University of Maryland ^ | 2-14-2011 | Neil Tickner

[Pharmboy]

Thanks to SunkenCiv for alerting me to this interesting find and story.

[ClearCase_guy]

American slaves played a sophisticated, technical role

Meaning: they put pointed objects near the doorway, in order to keep harmful spirits from entering the building.

[Pharmboy]

RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...

[Pharmboy]

I think they were referring to the actual construction rather than the superstitions they brought from Africa. And, they were no different than other peoples who brought their own superstitions with them. My grandparents certainly did...

[AppyPappy]

“Meaning: they put pointed objects near the doorway, in order to keep harmful spirits from entering the building”

Oh that never works.

[Louis Foxwell]

There are many remarkable colonial treasurers on the Eastern shore of MD. Both sides of my family settled there in the mid 1600’s.
I once located an ancestral home fron the 1800’s buried deep in the woods south of Cambridge in an area known as Church Creek. It was being used as a hunting lodge but had fallen into severe disrepair.
The region where my ancestors settled after leaving the Jamestown colony is still today called World’s End. It is a mosquito infested swamp with virtually no residents.

[ThunderSleeps]

“Meaning: they put pointed objects near the doorway, in order to keep harmful spirits from entering the building”

You think we could try that at the White House? :-O

[Sacajaweau]

Interesting but the purpose/ownership of the items are up for grabs. Too much speculation but historians love to put a story to their finds...right or wrong.

[jy1297]

Its sounds to me the the black man is responsible for GMO’s 150 years ago experimenting with broccoli.

[Hardraade]

Obamafaces or gargoyles? Same thing?

[Pharmboy]

No argument there...it’s all a good starting point for conversation, as long as some facts are sprinkled in.

[wagglebee]

Great story, thanks for posting!

[Pharmboy]

You are most welcome...

[Lee'sGhost]

Geez.... you say that like being ascared of haints ain’t sophisticated.

For shame...

[mac_truck]

That first item looks like an indian arrowhead, which can be found buried all over the place.

[Iron Munro]

The annual bombardment of stories rehashing black history begins.

It only lasts 365 days each year.

Maybe if people start spending a little time looking ahead instead of 100% focused in the rear view mirror they might realize they are letting year after year of opportunity slip by.

[Calvin Locke]

It's almost always been too late to do that. Can't even contain them there now.

The magicks of golf and AF-1 are way too great.

[Lion Den Dan]

Hogwash.

[Red Badger]

It most likely is an American Indian arrowhead, which would have been fairly common and available during that era. The slaves probably encountered them daily, in the soil and maybe from the makers themselves. Putting them in the entrance-way was the African custom, not the artifacts themselves....

[Sacajaweau]

Yeh, but it keeps the elephants away.