African Burial Ground

 This weeks lecture was both visually and intellectually pleasing. It's focus was the African Burial Ground which we will be visiting in the upcoming weeks. This lecture began with Professor Mack addressing the four research questions which are the origins of the remains, the quality of life of the people, the biological and cultural transformation, as well ass the modes of resistance.
  Archeologist uncovered many hidden mysteries when recovering the remains. One of the most interesting is that Africans filed their teeth as a write of passage and ethnic identifier. This tradition was said to be esthetically pleasing in African culture. This answers the question of biological and cultural transformation.
  Another, somewhat upsetting, discovery about this burial ground was that doctors from a nearby hospital would steal remains to use them as cadavers. In the 1700s it was illegal to use cadavers for experiments unless they were criminally insane. In attempt to manuever around this law, doctors would steal remains from the burial ground. In retaliation to this. slaves burnt down the hospital. This addresses the question of modes of resistance.
  There are many mysteries surrounding the African Burial ground that I have yet to uncover; However, I am hoping during the visit to learn much more about my ancestors.