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Dig reveals R.I. ties to slave trade

Kneeling in a hole, archaeologist James Garman pokes through two centuries of soil, trash and treasures. After a few hours of digging, he and other researchers find a tarnished belt buckle from the early 1800s.

“We are so close to the 18th century,” says Garman, staring at a dark line of dirt at the bottom of the pit.

For the third straight year, researchers this summer have been sifting a 15-by-20-foot pit off lower Thames Street for items owned by Thomas Richardson II, an 18th-century merchant, captain and slave trader.

The team has found close to 10,000 artifacts, including pig’s jaws, pipe stems, and combs for Colonial-era wigs. The items will be analyzed in the next few months.

Posted on Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:21 AM | Comments (0) | Return

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