Alexandria Historical Society Lecture

Wednesday, October 27, 2010 7:30 pm -
The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria, Virginia

October is Virginia Archaeology Month and this year's theme is "Written in Stone: Exploring the Commonwealth's Historic Cemeteries," so it especially timely that Dr. Steven J. Shephard, an archaeologist with Alexandria Archaeology, will present "Excavations at the Contrabands and Freedmen's Cemetery and the Concept of the Proper Coffin in the Mid-19th Century."

From 1864 to 1869, the Contrabands and Freedmen's Cemetery was the burial place for at least 1,800 African Americans seeking their freedom behind Union lines. Archaeologists conducted a series of four excavations in preparation for developing the property into a memorial park. The results of the excavations and documentary research indicate that there was an idea of what a "proper" coffin was like in mid-19th-century America. In his illustrated lecture, Dr. Shephard, one of the Freedmen's Cemetery project researchers, will discuss the history of the cemetery, some results of the excavations and the idea of a "proper" coffin.

This lecture is the third in the Freedmen's Cemetery lecture series. Lectures in this series explore the history and culture of African Americans in 18th and 19th-century Virginia.

This event is free and open to the public.  No reservations are needed.   Seating is on a first come, first served basis.   The capacity of the lecture hall is 140.

Speaker: Dr. Steven J. Shephard, Archaeologist
Cost: Free