Landscapes of Indenture: the Scots of York’s Scotland District and the Piscataqua Region

York’s Scotland District takes its name from the former Scots Prisoners who settled there in the 1650s and 1660s, after they served their indentured servant contracts and became free men. This talk discusses their history, and particularly current efforts by a team of international scholars from a range of disciplines to reconstruct their lives and the landscape they lived in. As we shall see, our story begins in November 2013 when archaeologists observing building work near Durham Cathedral (UK) made an unexpected and unusual discovery when disordered tumbles of articulated skeletons were uncovered in two mass graves. Register here: https://yorklandtrust.org/event/landscapes-of-indenture/.

Chris Gerrard is a Professor of Archaeology at Durham (UK) and the team leader for the Scottish Soldiers Project. The book arising from project won the Best Archaeology Book of the Year award in 2018 and the related exhibition won a Living North award in 2019. The project also featured on Who Do You Think You Are? with American actor Jon Cryer. Over 6500 learners from 100 countries have signed up to the project’s free MOOC.

Emerson “Tad” Baker is a Professor of History at Salem State University. The York resident is the author or co-author of six books on the history and archaeology of early Maine and New England. Baker has served as consultant and on-camera expert for documentaries and TV shows for networks ranging from PBS and TLC to Smithsonian and the History Channel.

You may also like the following events from York Land Trust:

• This Saturday, 10th May, 09:00 am, 5th Annual Native Plant Sale & Bake Sale in York

Also check out other Arts events in York, Literary Art events in York, Exhibitions in York.