One doesn't think of New Jersey, the nation's most densely populated state, as holding a treasure trove of archaeological goodies for researchers.
Good thing the archaeological department heads at Temple University don't think that way.
A group of students and volunteers from the Philadelphia school discovered what might be a significant African American historical site in South New Jersey.
They found an entire village spread over four acres buried near Rancocas Creek, outside Mount Holly, which includes at least 18 houses, a church, roads, wells and a cemetery containing 13 graves of black soldiers from the Civil War.
Researchers believe the village was called Timbuctoo and was founded by free black and escaped slaves in the 1820s.
One of the archaeologists at the site said critics don't believe it is an important find because it dates back only to the 1800s.
Nonsense. I understand an archaeological find from the 1820s doesn't rival those found in Africa and Europe from prehistoric times, but it can tell us a great deal about how people lived.
It's fascinating to see a 1,000-year-old jawbone or tooth, but the interest is short-lived. On the other hand, digging up an entire community, even if it's only 100-plus-years-old, tells me far more about people that I can relate to.
25-June-10 - Democratic Congressman Paul Kanjorski is getting heat from Republicans for making comments that sound like he doesn't respect black people.
25-June-10 - Democratic Congressman Paul Kanjorski is getting heat from Republicans for making comments that sound like he doesn't respect black people.
22-June-10 - If you think that Sarah Palin and her Tea Party followers only endorse white Republican wing nut wackjobs, you're wrong. Sometimes she endorses black Republican wing nut wackjobs.
21-June-10 - The children's grandmother and legal guardian, Katherine, recently had a sit-down with U.K. newspaper the Daily Mail and revealed some heart-tugging facts about how her grands (Prince, 13; Paris, 12; and Blanket, 8) still grieve the loss of their famous dad.
18-June-10 - Angela Lowe, the widow of R&B singer Sean Levert, who died suspiciously six days after being jailed back in March 2008, has settled her lawsuit against Cuyahoga County in Ohio and the umbrella company that oversees medical care at the jail.
16-June-10 - I know I'm supposed to be all outraged about the Seattle cop punching the teen in her face because I'm black and stuff like that, HOWEVER, I don't know whether it's because I'm a jaded '80s baby tired of young people's lack of respect for authority or I'm just insensitive, but I think the girls in this video absolutely deserve what they got.
15-June-10 - Jarretta Hamilton is angry and unemployed. The 39-year-old teacher was fired last April because she had sex before marriage and wound up pregnant. Now she has broken her silence and has gone public.
12-June-10 - I am not quite sure what to make of the ruffled YouTube video that is now scouring the web out of Paterson, New Jersey, where an officer inexplicably grabs a man, turns him around and puts pepper spray in to his eyes twice.
11-June-10 - Indianapolis Police Chief Paul Ciesielski called for the firing of a white officer who's been charged with repeatedly striking a 15-year-old biracial boy in the face during an arrest. The attacks allegedly occurred after the boy had been subdued by other officers.
09-June-10 - Gary Coleman's ex-wife, Shannon Price, is up to her post-hubby's-death antics again. As if masterminding the sale of Coleman's pre- and- post-death photos wasn't enough, now the merry widow has managed to get in to Coleman's home and take practically everything that wasn't bolted down! Click Here for the Complete Story
09-June-10 - Todd Bridges, who co-starred with Gary Coleman on the popular sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes,"is livid about both Globe Magazine's and Shannon Price's involvement in Coleman's death photos.
THIS IMPORTANT RESEARCH WILL FINALLY BRING TO LIGHT SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF BLACK HISTORY THAT THREATENED TO DIE WITH AN OLDER GENERATION OF DESCENDANTS THAT STILL LIVE ON AND NEAR TIMBUCTOO TODAY.IT IS OF THE UPMOST IMPORTANCE FOR AMERICA TO KNOW THE STORIES OF BLACK LIBERATION AS WELL AS THE STORIES OF BLACK OPPRESSION.
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Comments: (5)
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By: Focus on 7/02/2010 12:10AM
Black civil war soldiers? This is an amazing find!
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By: Tricia on 7/02/2010 9:37AM
Certainly a great and interesting find. No two ways about it. Blacks do have roots and and an amazing history. http://myown.oprah.com/audition/index.html?request=video_details&response_id=3822&promo_id=1
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By: MS PEGGY on 7/02/2010 9:50AM
Do they know what happened? How did a town get buried?
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By: Michael on 7/04/2010 8:15AM
It is a great find. I think it is very important.
It can teach us so much.
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By: MARK WESTON on 7/08/2010 3:26PM
THIS IMPORTANT RESEARCH WILL FINALLY BRING TO LIGHT SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF BLACK HISTORY THAT THREATENED TO DIE WITH AN OLDER GENERATION OF DESCENDANTS THAT STILL LIVE ON AND NEAR TIMBUCTOO TODAY.IT IS OF THE UPMOST IMPORTANCE FOR AMERICA TO KNOW THE STORIES OF BLACK LIBERATION AS WELL AS THE STORIES OF BLACK OPPRESSION.
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