Beman Triangle: Community Archaeology Symposium Tomorrow

The Beman Triangle is one of our city's most important historical sites. The triangle, located around the Cross Street A.M.E. Zion Church (near Neon Deli), was a thriving community of African Americans in the middle of the 19th century. Many of of the residents owned their homes, and the community played an important part in the Underground Railroad.

Wesleyan students and faculty will undertake archaeological excavations in the Beman triangle this spring, to learn more about the day-to-day life of its residents. They hope to "bring together the Wesleyan, AME Zion, and wider Middletown community to explore and remember the history of life at the site."

This Saturday, Wesleyan is sponsoring a symposium on the topic of community archaeology. Three speakers will discuss related projects. More details about the speakers and the Beman Triangle are HERE.

The Wesleyan Library Special Collections has a related exhibit on the Cross Street A.M.E. Zion Church available HERE.

The forum will be from 1pm to 4pm at the former Cross Street AME Zion Church. Sarah Croucher, organizer of the Symposium, emphasized that all interested Middletown community members are welcome to attend this free event.

Digging Together
Community Archaeology: Practice and Potential

Saturday February 25. 1pm – 4.30pm, Cross Street Church (Between Knowles and Vine St, opposite the Freeman Athletic Center)

• 1.15pm, Cheryl LaRoche (U of Maryland) “The Power of Community: Archaeology, the Black Church, and the Landscape.”
• 2.30pm, Stephen Silliman (U Mass Boston) “The Eastern Pequot Archaeological Field School: A Community Collaboration in Connecticut”
• 3.15pm, Whitney Battle-Baptiste(U Mass Amherst) “An Archaeology for the Living: Bringing the Past into the Present Through Dialogue, Collaboration, and Real Exchange.”
• 4.00pm, discussion, followed by a reception and informal conversation