What can the things we leave behind tell us about who we are?

At Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, students are learning archaeology by digging into their school’s history. Meanwhile, researchers are uncovering stories buried beneath the backyard of Two Wrasslin’ Cats Cafe in East Haddam.

And those discoveries helped inspire artist Jac Lahav’s mural, You Never Walk Alone, which brings generations of local history together – from the region’s Indigenous past to figures whose stories have too often been overlooked.

This hour, we explore how digging into the past can change the way we see the places we call home, and the people who helped shape them.

Guests:

• Kim Harris-Thacker: humanitarian faculty and archivist, The Ethel Walker School
• Sarah Sportman: Connecticut State Archaeologist, Office of State Archaeology & Connecticut State Museum of Natural History
• Mark Thiede: owner of Two Wrasslin’ Cats Coffee House & Cafe
• Jac Lahav: artist based in Lyme, Connecticut. Their painting has been featured in over ten solo museum exhibitions and Lahav’s recent collaboration with Samsung brings funny cat drawings to the Frame TV.