Description
Book SynopsisStone and brick tombs were repositories for the physical remains of many of Connecticut’s wealthiest and influential families. The desire was to be interred within burial vaults rather than have their wooden coffins laid into the earth in direct contact with crushing soil burden led many prominent families to construct large above-ground and semi-subterranean tombs, usually burrowed into the sides of hills as places of interment for their dead.
"And So The Tomb Remains" tells the stories of the Connecticut State Archaeologist’s investigations into five 18th/19th century family tombs: the sepulchers of Squire Elisha Pitkin, Center Cemetery, East Hartford; Gershom Bulkeley, Ancient Burying Ground, Colchester; Samuel and Martha Huntington, Norwichtown Cemetery, Norwich; Henry Chauncey, Indian Hill Cemetery, Middletown; and Edwin D. Morgan, Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. In all of these cases, the state archaeologist assisted in identifying and restoring human skeletal remains to their original burial placements when vandalized through occult rituals or contributed to the identification of unrecorded burials during restoration projects.
Each investigative delves into family histories and genealogies, as well as archaeological and forensic sciences that helped identify the entombed and is told in a personal, story-telling approach. Written in essay form, each investigation highlights differing aspects of research in mortuary architecture and cemetery landscaping, public health, restoration efforts, crime scene investigations, and occult activities.
These five case studies began either as “history mysteries” or as crime scene investigations. Since historic tombs were occupied by social and economic elites, forensic studies provide an opportunity to investigate the health and life stress pathologies of the wealthiest citizens in Connecticut’s historic past, while offering comparisons to the wellbeing of lower socio-economic populations.
Trade ReviewMany of the illustrations are reproductions of historic prints and photographs, providing further context. The text also includes a certain amount of background on the history of mortuary practices in both the Old and New Worlds. The tone is personal, accessible and lively: Bellantoni is not afraid to tell a good story. … this book is a worthy production, providing useful factual data about the particular tombs investigated, contextual information on the burial culture of New England and insights into the working life of an historical archaeologist. It is entertainingly written and could easily inspire a casual reader to consider a career in archaeology. * Church Monuments *
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Map Part I. Tomb Restorations Chapter 1 Introduction: Moseley Tomb Chapter 2 Squire Elisha Pitkin Family Tomb Chapter 3 The Tomb of Gershom Bulkeley and His Family Chapter 4 The Tomb of His Excellency Samuel Huntington, Esq. Part II. Tomb Vandalisms Chapter 5 Henry Chauncey Family Tomb Chapter 6 Edwin Denison Morgan Tomb Acknowledgements Glossary/Skeletal Diagram Bibliography
