[GentlieGant]

http://www.diaspora.uiuc.edu/news0311/news0311-3.pdf

Evidence of Slaves' Technical Skills and Religion at Enlightenment Greenhouse

One of North America's most famous Revolutionary-era buildings -- a lone-surviving testament to an Enlightenment ideal – has a hidden West African face, University of Maryland archaeologists have discovered.

Their excavation at the 1785 Wye "Orangery" on Maryland's Eastern Shore -- the only 18th century greenhouse left in North America -- reveals that African American slaves played a sophisticated role in its construction and operation. They left behind tangible cultural evidence of their involvement and spiritual traditions.

Frederick Douglass, who lived there as a young man, made it famous through his autobiography. But the team concludes it can build on Douglass to make a more full contribution to understanding.

"For years, this famous Enlightenment structure has been recognized for its European qualities, but it has a hidden African face that we've unearthed," says University of Maryland archaeologist Mark Leone, who led the excavation. "Concealed among the bricks of the furnace that controlled the greenhouse temperature, we found embedded a symbol used in West African spirit practice. An African American slave built the furnace, and left an historic signature."

His team also found an African bundle buried at the entrance to a part of the Wye greenhouse that once served as living quarters for the slaves who maintained the building.
From the full text:



African American Contributions


The slaves were pioneers in early U.S. agricultural experimentation, the new research concludes. They did far more than manual labor, performing work that today might be conducted by skilled lab technicians, though under far different conditions.


“These greenhouses were for agricultural and horticultural experimentation in 18th century America, and African American slaves played a far more significant and technical role in their operation than they’ve been given credit for,” Leone says. “This work required sophistication and skill, and the slaves provided it.” For example, slaves began experimenting there with wild greens like broccoli, Seneca snakeroot as a cure-all, ginger root for tea and
colds, buckbean as an analgesic and antiemetic, and also hardy bananas.

[wmtravelservice]

Pictures or it didn't happen?

[SappyAppy]

Pictures or it didn't happen?

The pics are in the link provided.

[PypeMaypetasy]

The link needed has to be download or saved. I cannot!

[GentlieGant]

Some pics here

http://newsdesk.umd.edu/images/Vibra...se_graphic.jpg


http://newsdesk.umd.edu/images/Vibra...pestle_lab.jpg

http://newsdesk.umd.edu/images/Vibra...estle_situ.jpg

http://newsdesk.umd.edu/images/Vibra...use_charms.jpg