ETSU researchers aid in uncovering Black settlement

Researchers at East Tennessee State University are working to uncover a hidden chapter of Black American history in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Earlier this year, ETSU geosciences faculty Dr. Eileen G. Ernenwein and Steven Jones -- along with with researchers from State University of New York at Potsdam and historians from the Adirondack Experience museum -- worked together and used advanced LiDAR technology to search for evidence tied to Timbuctoo, a mid-1800s settlement established for free Black Americans. Through remote sensing technology and historical and archaeological research, researchers were able to locate traces of homes, roads, farms and other signs of life that have been reclaimed by Adirondack forests. Using a drone equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, the ETSU team surveyed roughly 200 acres of rugged woodland. The drone collected millions of data points that were used to create detailed three-dimensional models of the forest floor, which allowed researchers to identify subtle landscape features that would aid in their search. It is noted that the most significant moments of the survey came from the descendants of Timbuctoo settlers, who visited the site during the fieldwork. Their presence is said to have grounded the survey, and reminded researchers that they weren't just recovering a lost settlement -- they were honoring the people who built it. "This project demonstrates how modern geospatial technology can help recover stories that history has nearly erased," Ernenwein told the Press. "What makes this work especially meaningful is that we are not simply mapping terrain. We are helping uncover evidence of lives, communities and resilience that deserve to be remembered and better understood." This work builds on more than 15 years of research led by SUNY Potsdam anthropology and archaeology professor Dr. Hadley Kruczek-Aaron, and it has been fruitful. Early LiDAR findings have already identified several areas that may contain remnants of stone piles or building foundations that are connected to the settlement. A film crew documented the process for a new exhibit set to open in summer 2027 at The Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake.