Anthropology students dig up history at Tannehill

Stephanie Norwood, Staff Writer
Published On: 06/ 9/2009

Students of all majors worked together in an archeological dig excavating slave quarters in Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park as a part of the Anthropology of Slavery course.

Twelve students participated in the May-mester course to learn more about slavery across the ages as a interdisciplinary effort that combined anthropology, archeology, and study of ancient history.

Jan Woods, junior, said, “I’m in nursing, so the course had nothing to do with my major. I like history and I like to look back and see where we came from as a country so I can help shape where we are going.”

The project consisted of participating in an archeological dig already established at the park by Jack Bergstresser, Ph.D. searching for remnants of slave culture. The site is believed to be the location of slave quarters and a kitchen.
Woods said, “We dug with Dr. Jack once a week for 3 weeks during the May-mester. We found remnants of glassware and plates, and charcoal where the slaves’ quarters were burnt down.”

Woods also said, “If we found a piece he [Bergstresser] would tell us what it was and how it was used. When you dig in the dirt, you feel more connected and it’s more hands on than just listening to the lecture.”

The course was team taught by several anthropologists of different disciplines. Lori Cormier, Ph.D. specializes in historical ecology while Sharyn Jones, Ph.D. specializes in understanding island cultures and human relationships with food. Greg Mumford, Ph.D. is an Egyptologist specializing in ancient cultures. Each of these professors brought a different aspect to the course broadening the horizons for the students.

Mumford said that the interdisciplinary nature of the course was beneficial to the students. “In my own case because I am digging in different areas and time periods, I’m providing a different perspective. Slavery can mean different things for different groups of people,” he said.

Woods said, “I think history’s more appealing to students when you can actually go out there and touch things and feel things.”

The faculty agree with her. In a previous interview, Jones said, “It’s really exciting to be in a classroom and talk about archeology and anthropology and the history of slavery all over the world, but then to actually come and be in the house… of someone who was in that situation and use bits of the past to understand it is very exciting.”

Mumford said, “I think on multiple levels it gives students from Alabama a greater appreciation for history within their own brief lifetimes and their parents’ and grandparents’ as well.”

The class also went on several other field trips to expand their knowledge of what slavery was like in Alabama. They went to Bass Cemetery, a historical cemetery for slaves. They also went to the Civil Rights Museum to further understand how the remnants of slavery impacted the African American people long after the institution was discontinued.

Email: scnorwo@uab.edu