After Excavation: Public Access & Data Management at the Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery
Mentor 1
Shannon Freire
Start Date
28-4-2023 12:00 AM
Description
Viking ships! Terracotta warriors! Lost cities! Gold! Much of what we collectively think of as archaeology often begins and ends with excavation when, in truth, excavation is merely the beginning. This begs the question, “how is archaeological data managed after excavations are completed to ensure the conservation of information and promote public access?” The Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery (MCPFC) Project is an ongoing research initiative to reverse the anonymity and selective forgetting that has characterized the history of Cemetery 2 (1882-1925), a historically disturbed portion of the larger Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery complex. The MCPFC Project was initiated in 2008 as a collaborative effort of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Archaeological Research Laboratory Center (ARLC) and the UWM Department of Anthropology. With over 20 years separating two archaeological excavations and a formalized research initiative now in its 15th year, comprehensive data management is crucial. Thus, the MCPFC Project is an ideal avenue for exploring these research questions. To work towards the goal of public access, I developed and produced a brochure with information about Cemetery 2. This resource will be shared at local centers of genealogical research and crucially, helps direct interested parties to a centralized digital hub for the MCPFC, the project website. Within the project website, I have generated website versions of key publications and created a multi-component timeline that situates the archaeology within the broader context of the Milwaukee community. In addition to my work within the website, I also produced interpretive signage for the bioarchaeology space with up-to-date information about the project to be viewed by faculty-led tours of the lab. Collectively this work facilitates public access to information about the project and more importantly, shares the stories of those interred at Cemetery 2.
After Excavation: Public Access & Data Management at the Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery
Viking ships! Terracotta warriors! Lost cities! Gold! Much of what we collectively think of as archaeology often begins and ends with excavation when, in truth, excavation is merely the beginning. This begs the question, “how is archaeological data managed after excavations are completed to ensure the conservation of information and promote public access?” The Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery (MCPFC) Project is an ongoing research initiative to reverse the anonymity and selective forgetting that has characterized the history of Cemetery 2 (1882-1925), a historically disturbed portion of the larger Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery complex. The MCPFC Project was initiated in 2008 as a collaborative effort of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Archaeological Research Laboratory Center (ARLC) and the UWM Department of Anthropology. With over 20 years separating two archaeological excavations and a formalized research initiative now in its 15th year, comprehensive data management is crucial. Thus, the MCPFC Project is an ideal avenue for exploring these research questions. To work towards the goal of public access, I developed and produced a brochure with information about Cemetery 2. This resource will be shared at local centers of genealogical research and crucially, helps direct interested parties to a centralized digital hub for the MCPFC, the project website. Within the project website, I have generated website versions of key publications and created a multi-component timeline that situates the archaeology within the broader context of the Milwaukee community. In addition to my work within the website, I also produced interpretive signage for the bioarchaeology space with up-to-date information about the project to be viewed by faculty-led tours of the lab. Collectively this work facilitates public access to information about the project and more importantly, shares the stories of those interred at Cemetery 2.
