In a message dated 8/24/2006 1:56:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:


> Don't EVEN get me started on this nonsense!
> 

Clearly, archeologists need to do their own research in their own geographic 
areas, taking into account the history of their research areas (but also the 
attitudes of the living descendants of whom we are trying to understand).  
There is plenty of evidence and scholarly research, including much work done by 
African-American scholars themselves, that demonstrate a clear presence and use 
of symbolism in (and, perhaps even, by) African-American communities that 
would fall under that category of "conjuring" "hoodoo" or whatever folky term one 
can find.  

Regarding cosmological symbols found on ceramics from a cache in Annapolis, 
it might interest folks to know that the interpretation of the cache came 
through extensive research and collaboration with African-American scholars who 
were knowledgeable about the existence of these practices, however disparate they 
might seem.