Discovering African-American Identity through Archeology

Lecture: "Discovering African-American Identity through Archeology"

Friday, Feb. 24, 2:10 p.m.

Using a variety of archeological sites from the Chesapeake area as examples, Lyle Torp will show how archeologists have increasingly been able to identify aspects of ethnicity from excavated material to help understand the past of African-Americans. He also will explore how archeologists in the private sector contribute to this research and how the past is used to empower present day African-American communities.

Torp is managing director of The Ottery Group, a Silver Spring, Md.-based firm specializing in natural and cultural resources. He has led The Ottery Group on a variety of projects related to archeological and historical architectural assessments and historic preservation planning since the firm's founding in 1998.

Torp is an expert on compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. He is a frequent speaker on archeological topics and is president-elect of the Council for Maryland Archeology, which advises state and local governments on issues related to archeological resources in Maryland.

He earned his bachelor's degree in anthropology from Wake Forest University, and a master's degree in applied anthropology from the University of South Florida, and worked on his doctorate at The Catholic University of America under William Gardner, former chair of the Department of Anthropology.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to request disability accommodations, call 202-319-5080.