Archaeology Laboratory for African and African Diaspora Studies

The Center for Africana Studies at Central is a pioneering institution in the United States, as it is the first of its kind to be closely affiliated with an archaeological program and laboratory. Within the Archaeology Laboratory for African and African Diaspora Studies, a variety of archaeological artifacts are curated, originating from ongoing research initiatives. These projects include the New York City African Burial Ground Project, the New Salem Plantation Archaeological Project, the Connecticut Minkisi Project, and various local African diaspora sites currently being explored by the Central Connecticut archaeological team. Notably, both Mr. Jerry Sawyer, who serves as the Director of the New Salem Plantation Archaeological Project, and Ms. Janet Woodruff, who holds the position of Director for the Connecticut Minkisi Archaeological Project, who are alumni of Central Connecticut State University. 

The Africana Studies Center and the Archaeology Laboratory for African and African Diaspora Studies play a vital role in Central's broader educational mission. Their primary goal is to seamlessly incorporate the study of Africa, African-Americans, and people of African descent throughout the Diaspora into Central's curriculum, thereby fostering and promoting a deeper understanding of these subjects.

Freeman Black Governors Homesite, Derby, Connecticut

Truthbound 
mural by Charlie Castrovinci

This mural, crafted by a Central alumnus, symbolizes the labor and wealth derived from the African slave trade. The barrels depicted represent the molasses produced in the Caribbean, which was then transported to Connecticut and Rhode Island for rum distillation. The woman in the foreground illustrates how archaeology serves as a tool to uncover the hidden past.