Colonial African-Americans' Remains Set For Reburial

The Boston Globe ^ | 10-4-03 | Tatsha Robertson

[johnny7]

NEW YORK -- Anthropologists and archeologists determined that one grave contained a young woman who had twisted, snapped wrists and a bullet lodged in her ribs. In another was a man laid to rest with coins on his eyes, an African custom. A third gravesite at the Colonial-era burial ground for slaves and freed blacks in lower Manhattan belonged to a woman holding a child in her arms. The remains of 419 African-Americans who three centuries ago worked and lived in the area will be reburied today in the same spot near Wall Street where they were accidentally unearthed 12 years ago by federal workers constructing an office building. A thousand people gathered in Wall Street yesterday and followed five horse-drawn carriages that carried dozens of coffins to the burial site at 290 Broadway.

[kaylar]

In another was a man laid to rest with coins on his eyes, an African custom

I swear, reporters and editors are becoming more ignorant, stupid, and provincial by the second. Coins on the eyes may be "an African custom", but it's hardly unique to Africa. Many other countries do (or did) the exact same thing. 19th century white Americans had that folkway, and they brought the custom from their ancestral homelands as well. It's an ancient, widespread practice-not an African-only more, as the reporter seems to believe.

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[Sacajaweau]

I believe there is just tooooo much speculation about this. We know there were blacks. Unfortunately, many archealogists and historians have a distorted view in regard to Indians and Blacks.

The quip about the woman with the bullet and crushed face implies that a white man did it. And you know what, black people die just like whites. The fact that they were in a burial ground tells us something.

As far as the strained neck muscles. I'm sure you would find the same thing among whites. They weren't lazy!! Read THEIR stories. They endured many hardships.

[sgtbono2002]

I have often heard the term that someone would steal the coins from a dead mans eyes. I agree it was obviously a widespread custom and not the sole property of the Africans.

[johnny7]

I agree it was obviously a widespread custom and not the sole property of the Africans.

You sir, are a RACIST!

[dr_who_2]

The pan-African types having "lost the legacy left by their A-frican ancestahs", probably make up half of this shit to begin with and get the rest out of "Visit Scenic Sudan (meals included)" glossies.

[rdb3]

If I recall correctly, those coins on the eyes of the deceased are supposed to be the toll for being ferried across the river Styx.

I think it was Greek.

[gitmogrunt]

"These skeltons have all kinds of trauma."

Blacks never inflict trauma on each other, isn't that correct, Mr. Perry?

[XRdsRev]

I actually had the opportunity to work as an archaeologist on a portion of this burial ground (I worked on some of the excavations in City Hall Park on the south side of Chambers Street).

The remains discussed in the article probably are those that came from the earlier main excavation which I didn't work on. Our burials came from an area that was directly north of the former line of British military fortifications which bounded the northern part of the Revolutionary War era city.

Records indicate that our excavation area might have contained African-American burials or those of executed American (Continental Army) Prisoners of War. A deathbed confession by the former British Provost Marshal of New York indicated that he had several hundred+ American Prisoners executed and buried just north of the fortifications. The prisoners were executed and the Provost Marshal and his cronies pocketed the money that had been designated to feed the prisoners.

I always wondered if our remains had ever been identified as to who they were. Unfortunately the whole project was tied up in politics.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Back then [1991], the federal government and the black community clashed.

Say what?