A Place of Remembrance

A Place of Remembrance. . From the 1690s until 1794, an estimated 15,000 enslaved and free Africans were laid to rest in the African Burial Ground. In 1991, during construction of the Ted Weiss Federal Building, 419 human skeletal remains were exhumed. The rediscovery of the cemetery sparked vigorous efforts to preserve this hallowed ground. In 1993 a small portion of the original 6.6-acre cemetery became the first below-ground New York City landmark and a national historic landmark. African Burial Ground National Monument was proclaimed on February 27, 2006. Widely regarded as one of America’s most significant archeological finds of the 20th century, it is also a place of remembrance and reflection., Circle of the Diaspora-The African Diaspora is the forced removal of Africans from their homeland to different parts of the world. It is also Africans’ unwavering spirit and ability to adapt. This circular wall, ramp, and interior court display cultural and spiritual images from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and other areas throughout the Diaspora., Ancestral Chamber (right side of the marker)-The 24-foot-high Ancestral Chamber represents the soaring African spirit and the distance below the ground from which the ancestral remains were exhumed. It is made of Verde Fontaine green granite from Africa. The heart like Sankofa symbol from West Africa means “to learn from the past to prepare for the future.” The exterior recalls a ship’s hold and provides a place for individual contemplation and prayer., Ancestral Reinterment Ground-On October 4, 2003, the exhumed ancestral remains were reburied on this site. The bones and accompanying artifacts were placed in hand-carved wooden coffins made in Ghana and lined with Kente cloth. The coffins were placed in seven crypts as close as possible to the original burial positions with heads facing west. Seven burial mounds mark the locations of the reinterments. If you wish, you may place flowers on top of the burial mounds.