Anthropology Department’s Community Work to be Featured in Courier-Journal
June 27, 2024
By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences
The UofL Department of Anthropology’s Center for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage (CACHe) has significantly impacted the ongoing restoration of Louisville's Eastern Cemetery, as it now embarks on a pilot study to surface map the locations of surviving headstones, use ground penetrating radar to document over-burial practices, and gather ethnographies of family members of the interred.
That study and the work going into it will soon be featured in the Courier Journal, as students, faculty, and staff met with CJ reporter Maggie Menderski this week at Eastern Cemetery to discuss their progress during a news interview.
CACHe, an interdisciplinary research and teaching hub in the College of Arts & Sciences, focuses on preserving the rich cultural history of the Falls of the Ohio region and beyond. Partnering with Friends of Eastern Cemetery, this initiative aims to rectify past injustices and mismanagement of the cemetery, in which many plots had been used for burials of multiple individuals without the knowledge of families, until a whistle blower came forward and a lawsuit resulted in the ‘80s.
This National Endowment for the Humanities –funded research explores the layers of experience and forms of social violence surrounding Louisville’s massively over-buried Eastern Cemetery, as well as the incredible work of the volunteer community group —Friends of Eastern Cemetery —who maintain the site.
The team, led by four Anthropology faculty — Thomas Jennings, Ashley Smallwood, Angela Storey, and Kathryn Marklein —combines archaeological and ethnographic methods to better understand Eastern Cemetery’s past and present.
The research being led by the Department of Anthropology ensures proper recognition and respect for all families involved, with a community workshop planned for this fall in which the findings will be presented and discussed with families impacted.
Initiatives through this community partnership include clearing overgrowth, repairing vandalism, and conducting research, thereby fostering a deeper connection with local history and also supporting continued healing for families with loved ones buried in Eastern Cemetery.
Participating students in the department are gaining practical experience through the project, contributing to their educational development and the university's mission to engage with the community and support local heritage sites.
This ensures that the stories and lives of those interred at Eastern Cemetery are preserved and remembered with dignity and respect.
