Digging Up The Past: First African Baptist Church Burial Grounds

July 2007-March 2008

African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street

"This exhibit offers a unique window into the African presence in Colonial Philadelphia through the discovery of the First African Baptist Church Cemeteries. Through the establishment of these cemeteries and the corresponding history of African Americans in the early 19th century, DIGGING UP THE PAST presents a glimpse into the historical, archaeological and cultural importance of the loss and discovery of these burial grounds. The excavation unearthed not only the ancestral remains of men, women and children but also numerous burial artifacts that showed the social and economic conditions affecting overall health, well-being and quality of life, along with the observance of African funeral rites and burial traditions."

Exhibit Review

• Digging Up the Past: An Exhibit Review. By Patrice L. Jeppson