This Semester our class participated in a public archaeology project that centered around the Hidalgo county pauper cemetery, our goal was to record as much data as possible in order to create a data base for the future classes and in order to reach out into the community in order to connect family member to those who may have been buried there. It was not only enlightening socially but also helped me come to conclusions about my own future career goals. Actually seeing the differences between the pauper cemetery and the hill crest cemetery which was literally feet away really struck home about the social differences many people faced even at death. This also provided me a chance to not only test if archeology was really something I wished to due after graduation i also provided me with experience I can take with me in my future career pursuits.
During the first two weeks we did not go out to the cemetery but instead stayed on campus and discussed the semantics of the project as well as everyone’s jobs. It was also during this time that we where first introduced to the total station. Professor Rowe explained to us how it worked and how to set it up correctly. On our first day out in the field we stated data collection which turned out to be much more work then I had originally thought it would be This consisted of entering the names , birth/ death dates ,head stone design and material and all other relevant information in to the App KOBO toolbox . The app program did not always work many times the data we collected did not upload correctly and we had to do many graves all over again .The app also had a habit of not only draining my phones battery very fast but over heating it as well their where a few occasions when my partner or I would have to but our phones in my water pack in order to cool off. But even so data collection continued for the majority of the class. I averaged about five to six data entry’s along with my partner sometimes even more if the software was being cooperative that day. When not ding data collection I did other tasks including working the total station. When on the total station I collected the points for various objects including a few graves and the boarder posts. his was a long and sometimes difficult process and if do anything after you set it up such as lean on it you have to do again and possibly all of the points you have taken could be invalid. Setting up the total station is a long process in itself finding the correct position to ensure everything is leveled took quite a bit of time. Once it was set up as long as there where no physical obstructions finding the prism window was relatively easy especially since you on had to move a couple of inches to find the next point . Though there where times that the total station was hard , like when I had to go out into the brush for a boarder post or when a tree was in the way and no matter what we did we could not map the point correctly or when we took some of the points from the wrong position. There where other jobs that had to be done as well such as labeling and setting out the grave markers I only did this once at the end we ended up having over a 1000 different marked sites. There where others that where unmarked that where found using cadaver dogs on the last week on site.
When we were not out in the field we had outside assignment to keep up with. They were our blog posts in the beginning we were required to do at least 8 out of the 11 that professor rowe posted but that number has since been reduced to only 6. The posts were based on questions about our reading , for example out first post was what pubic archeology meant to us and how and what we personally felt our project was set o accomplish with in our local community. I really enjoyed this type of class structure because it allowed us to fully focus on our project during class time. While the out side posting assignments were flexible as long as we got them done correctly. This also allowed me the chance to focus on the work load from other classes as well. But i do understand that it could have gone better , I recommend that not only are students require to do the blog post but to also comment and critique their class mates blog posts using original content and references. This will allow student to see how each other is doing and to off feed back and exchange and debate ideas. There by creating a dialog.
During our last class meeting we discussed how improve our project next semester, there where many great idea that I believe if incorporated correctly our project will b able to help a lot more people within the community. Some of ideas that I think we should incorporate are that we should try and reach out more to the to the pubic and try and become more involved in gathering information. Some of the ways that this could be done is reaching out to funeral homes , churches , and hospitals in order to try and obtain some of the records that may help us identify who exactly is buried with in the paupers cemetery and to try and get in touch with their families in order to learn more about the situations that led them to being buried in the paupers cemetery. We should also look at the court records for more information. This may help us clear up the confusion about the in properly buried hillcrest caskets . I also hope that we will eventually go forward with the plan of giving a presentation during the annual Archeological society of America’s meeting I feel like this will help those of us that wish to peruse a career in archaeology make valuable connections with leader in the field.
Final Thoughts
My thoughts on this class (Public Archaeology) is that the class is definitely worth taking for any student to take, regardless if their major is an Anthropology or any other major, students should definitely take this class. This class is definitely a nice change of pace as instead of simply being in a classroom and focusing on a bunch of lectures, we got to go out on the field and do some actual field work, something that I feel needs to more integrated for both juniors and seniors (regardless if they’re going for their Bachelors degree or Masters). This class was a breath of fresh air as we the students were allowed to get our hands dirty and do genuine field work, all at our own steady pace. This is especially great for me since I prefer to actually do physical work rather than sit and read (especially since I’ve become more of a Kinesthetic learner), as a result this class was just what I both needed and liked. The class is only once a week, for two in a half hours though if you want or if you have extra time you can put the extra effort on either that day or when you have a day to do it, provided you at least let Dr. Rowe know, so I feel anyone who takes this class (especially since it’s on a Friday) should be able to make it to this class.
The tools we used for this class was sadly short, besides the standard measuring tapes and a website we used for our data collection we also used the total station which was fun to use and once you got the hang of it (as well as go through the pain staking long set up) it was quite easy. Of course, considering the fact that this was an experimental class and was its first term its acceptable that there wasn’t going to be a lot of equipment for this class so it’s understandable and hopefully as the class gets to stay in the school’s curriculum it gets more funded to allow more tools to be used whether it be for the data collection or for the fieldwork. The dogs that showed up on the last day were also fun to have around sniffing for any hidden graves as well as making sure some of the graves we marked were actual graves, though sadly we didn’t get to spend too much time with them seeing as how they were well trained and focused on finding said hidden graves.
The only major complaint regarding this class is the readings and writing assignments that this class will have you do, I myself found these as strange since the class focused so much on field work and research and you’d end up getting so into this you’d end up quite possibly forgetting about the readings and writing assignments, this has happened to most of the class myself included. In fact, while I mostly enjoyed this classes field work I had to focus on my other classes own reading and writing assignments I completely forgot about this classes own assignments till Dr. Rowe reminded us, unfortunately due to my other classes and their own readings I had to put my focus on those instead of putting it on this class especially for the final projects my other classes had for the end of the semester, as a result there simply wasn’t any time for me to actually do this classes assignments. While I’m not sure exactly what would have been a good substitute for this, I think not only showing up for the class, especially since we only went to the graveyard for what’s essentially a week, but also doing as much research for the graves would have been enough as well as this final paper, which is also fine as it help to push this class more for those who are interested. The readings should have been more along the lines of a recommendation rather than a requirement, and if it was an absolute requirement it should have been for a mid-term/final exam rather than smaller writing assignments.
My advice is to take this class when you don’t have other classes that makes you do a lot of reading and writing assignments, or even classes that will make you do a lot of work in general nor should you take classes that are more important to you such as classes for your major, as those will only get in the way of doing this classes own reading assignments. If you take this class while either simultaneously taking other classes that will have you do a lot of work or by taking a lot of classes than the average four is very stressful and it will ultimately force you to either drop this class or one of the other classes your currently taking, and no one wants to do that especially for such a good hardworking class such as this one or one of the major classes that you need for your major.
Despite this, the class itself is still fun and definitely worth taking or even volunteering as it helps the community by both expanding on their history that they might not have known about (I certainly didn’t know about this cemetery when my family and I moved here) as well as giving people some measure of closure for locating old or even lost/forgotten family members that they might not have known too much about. This class is a step in the right direction for hopefully future classes that both want and will have a more hands on approach, which I feel is definitely great for students as they can get the hands on experience that students would normally read in books or hear about through lectures, which I feel is way more important (though readings and lectures are still important) as it is required for the students to actually use and demonstrate their experience in their future jobs and careers.
Final Reflection
The Hidalgo County Public Cemetery Project (or formally known as the Hidalgo County Pauper Cemetery Project) may not seem like something grand to some people but to others it does not only tell history of the community but holds the memories of their loved ones. The project taught me many things such as: how important all the people we identify are, the ethics applied, different types of technology used and how this impacts the community.
The people located in the cemetery were strangers to me when I first arrived and the cemetery but as I worked with my classmates I got to meet several of them, some I do not know much about but the fact that they are there was clear. The cemetery was not in good shape and that was partly the reason for us being there but people still cared and visited the cemetery that had been overcome by time and nature. It seemed like a lonely place compared to Hillcrest cemetery at its side but it was just as important.
I learned that the people buried in the cemetery were either those whose families could not afford to pay or people who died while visiting the Rio Grande Valley. There is a variety of people buried in the cemetery from children to adults, those that lived long and those that did not get to start it, all these people who have their own individual histories that connect to this one place. When the project began and that first day out there I felt overwhelm with several feelings and emotions because I did not know what direction this project would take us. Would the families be angry at us as we intruded upon this sacred place? Is it insensitive to record the data, as we take measurements of the grave markers or we read the inscriptions upon them? Is what we are doing truly going to benefit the community? I had all these other questions swirling around in my mind but the answers were not those I had expected and changed the questions entirely. The families were not angry, in fact they were happy as we helped identify their loved ones and sometimes learn more about them. Collecting the data caused a misinterpretation with visitors as they believed we were inspecting the cemetery but fear was something I felt too. I was afraid because I did not want to offend any of them as we measured, took pictures, set down flags trying our best not to disturb the graves around us as we walked among the them. The last question about the project benefiting the community, changed. At first it was how would this benefit the community but after we got approval form not only the county but several of the families it was: How to we keep the project going and improve it? I realized that the work we were doing was more important because yes this was for the living but it was also for the dead, giving them back their identities that had been obscured by time and nature.
I was usually in charge of measuring the grave markers, but it did not matter if you were the one taking the picture of the marker and offerings, taking measurements, converting those measurements, recording the names, date of death and birth and any other information. All of these required us to get close to the graves and made sure that we did our best to collect any information we could in order to identify who was buried there. I did not get to use all the technology that was present for the project but based on the experiences of my classmates and Dr. Rowe it was a time-consuming process that will be worth it in the end because it will allow us to create a map of not only the cemetery but of each individual grave. There were times that there was nothing other than a homemade grave marker that indicated there was someone buried there but there was no name, dates or anything but the maker and sometimes some offerings. This meant we had to do more research and find the peoples’ records. As the class came to an end we discussed how to improve the project using different resources to broaden our pools of information and connect it back to the community.
After the Day of the Dead everyone noticed the cleaned graves and the new offerings making the place seem brighter, making us happy and excited as we revisited the graves. This showed that the people we were working to identify were still being celebrated but also reminded us that there were some graves that still needed to be recorded and by the end hopefully have enough to find family members that have been searching form them or do not know about them because of the passage of time. I think that those involved wanted the cemetery to look like those around it (like Hillcrest), with vibrant green grass to match the brightly colored flower offerings.
There are many questions surrounding the relationship between the different cemeteries given their proximity to one another and whether boundaries were crossed. The Hidalgo County Pauper Cemetery is supposed to be free but there are some people that say otherwise, all these things tie back into the history of the place and the communities that lived during those times. As we uncover more than just identities of the people buried there but the history of the cemeteries as well as they intertwine with the lives and death of different people.
The Hidalgo County Public Cemetery project still has a lot of room to improve and is still growing. My class was the first to experience this project but it will not be the last and it was just the beginning as more of the community gets involved and information is uncovered. The cemetery is slowly changing as graves are rediscovered, identities reestablished and families are reconnected.
Working for the Hidalgo County Pauper Cemetery Project
In the course of over twelve weeks, working vigorously on data collection and method reflection, I have learned so much about archaeology in the context of community development and public engagement as a goal rather than a component to archaeological fieldwork. Taking into account the roles we play in this project such as initiators and engagers of public outreach proves that there is a goal to be met that involves other groups of interest.
By publishing posts online to our Hidalgo County Pauper Cemetery Project website, we allow the public to freely interact with team members involved in the process of data collection for this semester. Giving community members an inside look of the methods we intend to execute in the coming years for achieving public engagement as well as recover valuable records for these burial grounds.
After completing the readings for this semester, I have learned the importance of archaeology in a community setting. Understanding the role in which archaeologists and other specialists play when collaborating with the public. As mentioned by Jameson in Purveyors of the Past, “Because the archaeological record represents the heritage of all people, archaeologists have the responsibility to communicate with the public about the nature of archaeological research and explain the importance and relevance of archaeological research.” This quote expresses the importance of awareness that should be allowed to all of a community when working through and for the heritage of peoples.
However, the narrative should not be written out for the archaeologist who is advocating for the heritage conservation of a community as the focal point to this overall organized development. After much reflection of the beginnings in archaeological research from the 1950s, we as scholars and specialists of the study, should establish the stakeholders of a public works project to the rightful owners. As mentioned by Anna S. Agbe-Davis in Archaeologist in Communities, “Communities provided flora within which people could assert their needs, and legitimized the authority necessary to create change.”
The Hidalgo County Pauper Cemetery Project is first and foremost in effect to establish proper representation of the Pauper Cemetery in Edinburg, Texas. With a small portion of information pertained to the majority of these burials and an obvious lack of maintenance denotes the neglect in which people of this community and the Valley, overall face. Segregation is displayed on the layout of this burial site when noting the location of the sections at Hillcrest Cemetery. The Cemetery is still active today with a historical landmark located to the Southeast of the cemetery that is decades old and still under respectable conditions. Unlike the Pauper cemetery and the disconnected portion of the property called Restlawn, also known as the African American cemetery.
With the efforts and partnership of Hidalgo County, the Hillcrest property managers, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, we as a team are able to come together and deliver solid field work that will partake in the overall contribution for social change in South Texas (The Valley). This project aims not only to represent the lost names of this cemetery through deep research into archival record retrieved from various sources such as public/hospital records, background and medical information, and even archival record from funerary and mortuaries. By widening the spectrum of voices in this project, we are organizing this project that can satisfy all needs of the people.
What I find to be so promising for this public archaeology project is the mentality we all share for the fieldwork and collaboration associated with the location and community. By implementing digital tools such as KoboTools to record data, set up a website for active discussion and public awareness, and complete data recovery through external sites such as FindAGrave. Opening our means of resources by a wide range so that we can collect as much information to complete the data portion of this project successfully.
Before we set out to begin data collection, broadcasting and networking was discussed in class for the purpose of recruiting interested parties to also collaborate with the team. Examples such as writing to The Monitor and setting up city hall meetings was mentioned a couple of times and I found it to be very effective. These steps alone are to already be expected as an archaeologist who initiates the involvement of heritage site management. In order to successfully preserve heritage and historic sites, we as members of the project must reach out onto the community and invoke the necessity to involve local engagement onto these sites. For these local bodies are the true factors that will provide successful preservation and a positive outcome for the community, as mentioned in Uzi Baram’s “Community Organizing in Public Archaeology” (12).
Understanding local politics, heritage site preservation and what it means to the community of Hillcrest Cemetery, the HCPCP will surely work with the needs and goals expected in order to successfully organize this project where the people of this site are the true stakeholders. Looking into the case at East Bradenton mentioned by Uzi Baram’s “Community Organizing in Public Archaeology”, Baram clarifies that engaging with the community to become more involved with the preservation of heritage leads to a more secure future (16).
Overall, what this course has taught me as an undergraduate in the Anthropological field of study is that archaeology can be a very crucial tool in assessing a better future for humanity, even at a small scale. Looking to the past does not only have to allow reflection but also cause of change, more specifically, social change. I am beyond grateful to have been given the chance to get my hands dirty on-site recording data at the Pauper Cemetery. Not to mention the service learning hours being granted for our time out on the field is also noted so that I can share this bit of experience with others in attempts to promote this career path in which I am proud to take.
