Abstract
The historic burial ground of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia was uncovered in the winter of 2016–2017 during development of an urban lot in downtown Philadelphia. Burial records indicate its use from ca. 1702 to 1859. In 1860 the cemetery was contracted to be relocated. The skeletal remains of approximately 500 individuals, along with associated funerary goods, including coffins and coffin furniture (hardware and handles or fittings), were recovered during the archaeological excavations. This represents a large portion of the original cemetery and provides important information about colonial and postcolonial funerary practice in early Philadelphia. This article introduces the project and provides a preliminary description of associated artifacts, thus offering details of 18th- and 19th-century funerary practices from an integrated burial ground in Philadelphia. The uniquely varied hardware assemblage is perhaps consequent of the burial ground’s ideological or ancestral diversity.
Resumen
El cementerio histórico de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Filadelfia fue descubierto en el invierno de 2016–2017 durante el desarrollo de un lote urbano en el centro de Filadelfia. Los registros de entierro indican su uso desde ca. 1702 a 1859. En 1860 se contrató el cementerio para su reubicación. Los restos óseos de aproximadamente 500 individuos, junto con bienes funerarios asociados, incluidos ataúdes y muebles de ataúd (ferretería y manijas o accesorios), fueron recuperados durante las excavaciones arqueológicas. Esto representa una gran parte del cementerio original y proporciona información importante sobre la práctica funeraria colonial y poscolonial en la Filadelfia temprana. Este documento presenta el proyecto y proporciona una descripción preliminar de los artefactos asociados, ofreciendo así detalles de las prácticas funerarias de los siglos XVIII y XIX desde un cementerio integrado en Filadelfia. La variedad única de la ferretería es quizás consecuencia de la diversidad ideológica o ancestral del cementerio.
Résumé
Le cimetière historique de la Première Église Baptiste de Philadelphie a été découvert pendant l'hiver 2016–2017 au cours d'un chantier sur une parcelle urbaine du centre ville de Philadelphie. Les registres d'enterrement indiquent une utilisation approximativement de 1702 à 1859. En 1860, le cimetière a fait l'objet d'un regroupement pour être déplacé. Les restes squelettiques d'environ 500 individus, ainsi que des objets funéraires associés, notamment des cercueils et des éléments de cercueil (matériel et poignets ou accessoires), ont été recouvrés au cours de fouilles archéologiques. Ceci représente une grande partie du cimetière d'origine et fournit des informations importantes sur les pratiques funéraires coloniales et post-coloniales au début de Philadelphie. Cet article est une présentation du projet et il propose une description préliminaire des artéfacts associés, offrant ainsi des détails sur les pratiques funéraires des 18ème et 19ème siècles provenant d'un cimetière intégré à Philadelphie. La variété unique de l'assemblage des matériaux est peut-être la conséquence de la diversité ancestrale ou idéologique du cimetière.
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Notes
The source for this illustration, the Victoria and Albert Museum’s online catalog, renders the name of the firm as “Tuesby and Cooper,” which was shown to be incorrect by Hoile (2020:90–91).
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Acknowledgments:
Thanks to Harry Alden of Alden Identification Service who analyzed the coffin-wood samples for this project. The authors wish to thank the many donors to the crowd-sourced funding campaign who made this research possible. The project was made possible by lab space and funding provided by the College of New Jersey, Rutgers University at Camden, and the Mütter Research Institute of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Many thanks to the numerous volunteers who have given countless hours of time to cleaning and studying the artifacts and skeletal remains.
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Leader, G.M., Moran, K.S., Beatrice, J. et al. Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century Funerary Hardware and Material Culture from the Historic Cemetery (ca. 1702–1859) of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia. Hist Arch 56, 72–90 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-021-00311-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-021-00311-6