Human remains have been discovered in an archaeological dig at the site of a historic African American Church in Colonial Williamsburg, experts announced on Monday.

by Michael E Ruane on February 24, 2021

Notes

Human remains have been discovered in an archaeological dig at the site of a historic African American church in Colonial Williamsburg, experts announced Monday. A worn upper front tooth and what is probably a finger bone were unearthed during excavation at the site of the old First Baptist Church, one of the oldest such churches in the country and the earliest African American church in Williamsburg, experts said. The remains were found in what was left from an excavation at the site in the 1950s and probably came from a grave that was inadvertently disturbed in that process, experts said. The current dig has located what appear to be two graves. Archaeologists believe there may be more.  The grave shafts have not yet been explored, but descendants of the church’s earliest members said they want the archaeology to continue to try to learn who the deceased were, and honor them.