Date of Award
5-1-2025
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Anthropology
First Advisor
Wagner, Mark
Abstract
To add to a growing body of academic literature regarding historic African American cemeteries, this study examines two such cemeteries located in Pope County, Illinois: the Miller Grove Cemetery and the Hill Cemetery. Utilizing several different investigative methods, including pedestrian survey, geophysical survey, and historic research, the archaeological features and material culture of both cemeteries were studied to see what could be learned about their associated communities without ground disturbance. The results of these methods demonstrate the connections of members within these communities and the interconnectedness of historic African American settlements throughout southern Illinois and the greater Midwest. They also reveal how these connections, forged through blood, bond, and shared meanings, assisted these communities in navigating racism through the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Access
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