Skeletons in the Cabinet

Abstract

The chapter examines the intersection of collective historical memory, commemoration, and archaeology in an urban setting. As the first historic district in New York State, the Stockade Neighborhood of Schenectady is distinguished as a dynamic site of memory. The key event that has shaped this collective historical memory is the Massacre of 1690. The story of the “massacre” has been venerated through first-hand accounts, ballads, memorials, and even re-enactments. While this metanarrative is ever present, the aftermath of the event remains buried under both the soil and political obfuscation. The authors discuss the numerous skeletal remains recovered in the neighborhood, many of which have been attributed to the massacre with little archaeological evidence of such. Examination of the historical record around these disinterments allow for a critical examination of the role of archaeology in collective historical memory, as well as the methodologies associated with the excavation and post-exhumation treatment of human remains in the Stockade District and their role in the commemoration of the Schenectady Massacre.