Archaeology of the African-American Burial Ground

Mount Vernon archaeologists began a long-term survey of the African-American Burial Ground in 2014. Guided by Ground-Penetrating Radar and careful excavation techniques, they rediscovered the locations of over 80 individual graves and temporarily marked them with white outlines without disturbing human remains. The graves are aligned in neat rows on east-west orientations and in groupings that likely represent family networks extending across each of Mount Vernon's five farms. The archaeology indicates that the burial ground was in use during Washington's lifetime and for several generations after.

Fort Hunt, Virginia · United States