A Biohistory of 19th-Century Afro-Americans: The Burial Remains of a Philadelphia Cemetery

by Lesley M. Rankin-Hill

Overview

The First African Baptists Church (FABC) remains were accidentally discovered and eventually excavated during the 1980s in Philadelphia. The history and artifacts of the church and cemetery, active from 1823 to 1850, provide a glimpse into the life of the poorest segment of Philadelphia society. Who these people were and the conditions of their lives is the focus of this book. Using census data, skeletal remains, and church documents, Dr. Rankin-Hill recreates the life of this community and compares their conditions to that of other Afro-Americans living in the United States.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897894357
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	02/19/1997
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Lesley M. Rankin-Hill is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Dr. Rankin-Hill received her PhD in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Table of Contents

Tables and Illustrations
Introduction
In Search of the Invisible People: Methods and Materials
The Philadelphia Afro-American Community
Mortality and Health in Early Nineteenth-Century Philadelphia
The Story the Skeletons Tell
The FABC Cemetery Population: A Biocultural View
Notes
Appendix A: First African Baptist Church Cemetery Inventory as Prepared by J. O. Kelley, 1988
Appendix B: Partial Interment Record First African Baptist Church (ca. 1825-1842)
Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

A useful addition to the literature…” —Choice

From the Publisher

Philadelphia's First African Baptist Church Cemetery was accidentally discovered and subsequently excavated during the 1980s. Congregation members interred in the long forgotten cemetery represent some of the poorest of Philadelphia's African American population during the first half of the 19th century. In this volume, Rankin-Hill (anthropology, U. of Oklahoma- Norman) evaluates and interprets the skeletal remains of the church members, drawing conclusions based on extensive research concerning the conditions and experiences of their lives. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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