Community Archaeology at Strawbery Banke Museum

A behind-the-scenes look at collaborative museum archaeology exploring the nineteenth- and twentieth-century history of Portsmouth

Community Archaeology at Strawbery Banke Museum traces the research, preservation, and interpretation of three sites at a living history museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This volume documents how the museum’s archaeology, public involvement, and educational initiatives have illuminated how newcomers established themselves, maintained community, and built the city’s layered history.

Alexandra Martin, director of the archaeological research behind these projects, describes how the sites reveal the stories of Russian Jewish immigrants, Irish immigrants after the Great Hunger, and Black families who moved north during the Great Migration. Martin shares her work conducting archaeological research, collecting documentary materials, and combining oral histories to interpret history. This book displays the role of collaborative museum archaeology in sharing the stories of those who are underrepresented in history, engaging and serving descendants, stakeholders, heritage tourists, and local residents.