Uncovering Raritan Landing
In the late 1970s, the Environmental Protection Agency was overseeing construction of a major sewer line through Middlesex County, New Jersey. The project was halted due to its unforeseen impact to a lost port community buried under a local road and a Middlesex County Park. The port community was Raritan Landing. Inhabited by slaves, tradespeople, and prominent English and Dutch merchants, this small village thrived from the early 1700s up to the American Revolution. Learn about the history of Raritan Landing and the excavation of the most studied archaeological site in New Jersey from historians, anthropologists and archaeologists. These dedicated professionals utilized revolutionary technology, such as ground penetrating radar and carefully gathered artifacts but worked as fast as possible to assist the Environmental Protection Agency in completing a vital project. Brought to you by the Middlesex County Division of History and Historic Preservation, part of the Arts Institute of Middlesex County, and the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners.
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Episodes
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Only two houses remain from Raritan Landing: the Metlar-Bodine House and the Cornelius Low House. Mark Nonestied, Middlesex County Historian, discusses Low, his family's alliances during the American Revolution, and architecture of the house. We also spoke with archaeologists who participated in the 26th investigation of Raritan Landing; on the grounds of the Cornelius Low House.
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
During the early years of the American Revolution, Raritan Landing was occupied by Hessian and British forces. This episode reveals how the strategic encampment of the Crown forces effected the daily lives of the inhabitants and changed the town forever.
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Participants reminiscence about the Raritan Landing excavation. Archaeologists explain how a site was scientifically dug, the new technologies used at the Landing site, and, most importantly, what the artifacts tell us about everyday life during the years before the American Revolution.
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Raritan Landing was located near the Raritan River. The name Raritan came from the Lenape word "Rariton." This episode talks about the culture and lifeways of the Lenape and Munsee, indigenous people and the first inhabitants of what became Raritan Landing and New Jersey.
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Monday Jul 03, 2023
Construction of a federally-funded sewer line endangered the buried remains of one of the 18th century port community: Raritan Landing. The official state archaeologist, Dr. Lorraine Williams called the Director of the Rutgers Archaeological Survey Office to warn him. This episode covers how Dr. Grossman and his team of researchers and diggers investigated the site using a technological first in the field of archaeology.
Monday Jul 03, 2023
About the Arts Institute of Middlesex County
We believe all residents of Middlesex County should have access to and the opportunity to participate in the arts, history, folklife, and cultural heritage experiences that enrich their lives. We support and invest in our County's rich cultural resources to improve the quality of life for all residents of the County by investing in arts, history, folklife, and cultural heritage.