REU Site: Interdisciplinary Investigations at New Philadelphia

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

The New Philadelphia NSF REU project is an interdisciplinary scientific archaeological Study of an integrated town established on the midwestern frontier. New Philadelphia was the first town incorporated by an African American in the pre-emancipation era. The town thrived as a small, integrated rural town with craftsmen, laborers, farmers, and their families until the railroad company routed its line around New Philadelphia in 1869. Residents unincorporated the place in 1885, and it slowly disappeared from the landscape as people moved to the larger surrounding towns and distant urban areas. Today, the site is situated in a plowed field with only a few remaining fieldstone foundations. The goal of this research project is to understand how ethnicity and race may have influenced consumer choice, landscapes, and diet. This study will add a new perspective to understanding the changing relationships between whites and blacks in an integrated community over the course of antebellum and postbellum eras. This REU Site will incorporate students in the research design, data collections, and analysis of the archaeological materials. The Site will accept 9 students for 10 weeks. The program is divided into three components: a one-week orientation and background session that includes the geophysical testing of archaeological sites; a four week archaeology field season collecting data; and a five week session at the Illinois State Museum scientifically analyzing material culture and archaeobiological data. Students will work in a collaborative effort while also receiving mentorship from an interdisciplinary team of professionals. Students will receive training in archaeological field methods, artifact identification, and cataloguing, as well as in faunal and macrofloral analyses. This award contributes to the Foundation's continuing efforts to attract talented students into careers in science through active undergraduate research experiences.