In 2013, 36 Ancestors of African descent were identified in an unmarked eighteenth-century burial ground during construction in Charleston, South Carolina. The site, later referred to as the Anson Street African Burial Ground, was buried beneath the growing city and forgotten in the centuries that followed. The ethical treatment of these ancestral remains was of paramount importance to our community. Historically, narratives relating to the lives of African descendant people in Charleston have been inadequately documented and shared. For these reasons, we engaged the local African American community in a multifaceted memorialization process. Together, we sought to sensitively ensure that the Ancestors’ identities and lives were fully explored according to the collective descendant community's wishes. To this end, we involved the community in researching and celebrating the Ancestors’ lives through arts and education programs and analyzed their and community members’ DNA to elucidate their ancestry. Our engagement initiatives increased access for all ages to archaeological, historical, and genetic research and encouraged active participation in the design of a permanent memorial. The Anson Street African Burial Ground Project provides a successful example of community-engaged activist archaeology focused on honoring the Ancestors and their descendants.

2013 年，南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿一处正在施工的十八世纪墓地中，发现了 36 位非洲裔祖先。该遗址后来被称为安森街非洲墓地，被埋在不断发展的城市之下，并在接下来的几个世纪中被遗忘。对这些祖先遗骸的道德处理对我们的社区至关重要。从历史上看，有关查尔斯顿非洲后裔生活的叙述并没有得到充分的记录和分享。出于这些原因，我们让当地非裔美国人社区参与了多方面的纪念过程。我们一起努力敏感地确保祖先的身份和生活根据后代社区的集体愿望得到充分探索。为此，我们通过艺术和教育项目让社区参与研究和庆祝祖先的生活，并分析他们和社区成员的 DNA 以阐明他们的祖先。我们的参与计划增加了所有年龄段的人参与考古、历史和基因研究的机会，并鼓励积极参与永久纪念碑的设计。安森街非洲墓地项目提供了社区参与活动考古学的成功范例，重点是纪念祖先及其后代。