The Earth Is Their Witness

Early African America: Archaeological Studies of Significance and Diversity

“…Examples include ceramic bowls with cross lines incised on interior or exterior surfaces of the bases, and white clay marbles, coins, and pewter spoons with similar marks scratched into them. Archaeologists also have uncovered caches of polished stones, quartz crystals, pieces of chalk, bone disks, coins, ash, bird skulls, crab claws, iron nails, and blade-like fragments that were deposited beneath entryways or along perpendicular axes under the wood or brick floors of dwellings and work spaces (Brown 2001(Brown , 2004Fennell 2003Fennell , 2007bFerguson 1992Ferguson , 1999Franklin 1997a;Leone 2005;Leone and Fry 1999;McKee 1995;Ruppel et al 2003;Samford 1994;Wilkie 1997;Young 1996Young , 1997. These deposits typically appear in contexts that indicate they were used in private, often secret, settings.…”

Beads, Coins, and Charms at a Poplar Forest Slave Cabin (1833-1858)

“…Three fist-shaped fasteners have been recovered in Annapolis, Maryland: one from the Charles Calvert House and two from the MaynardBurgess home occupied by free blacks. Most recently, archaeologists recovered four of these decorative fasteners in association with a slave cabin at Kingsley Plantation in Jacksonville, Florida (S. Smith 1987;Yentsch 1994;McKee 1995;Russell 1997;Fennell 2007Fennell , [2013; Markus and Davidson 2011;James Davidson 2013, pers. comm.).…”

“…Significantly, archaeologists at the Hermitage in Nashville, Tennessee, recovered a hand charm with a different form in addition to the two stamped fist-shaped fasteners (McKee 1995;Russell 1997) (fig. 6).…”

Enslaved African conjure and ritual deposits on the Hume Plantation, South Carolina

“…I do not argue the validity of these arguments for expressions of African resistance. However, this article is not intended to cover that topic or its broad spectrum already discussed by numerous other scholars (Armstrong, 1999; Chireau, 2006; Davidson, 2004; Ferguson, 1992; Harris, 2004; Jones, 2000; Joyner, 1984; Klingelhofer, 1987; Leone, 2008; McKee, 1995; Minges, 2004; Morgan, 2006; Muller, 1994; Orser and Funari, 2001; Russell, 1997; Samford, 1996; Scott, 1985; Singleton, 2001; Young, 2007).…”