| Archaeology at the Freedmen's Cemetery Site |  |
The primary goal of the archaeological investigations was to provide information to insure that all extant graves are protected during development of the Contrabands and Freedmen's Cemetery Memorial and that the design reflects the historic character of this special place. Archaeological investigations conducted by URS Corporation in 1999-2000 and by Alexandria Archaeology in 2004 and 2007 have identified locations of more than 500 graves on the site.
This excerpt from the Contrabands and Freedmen's Memorial 2008 Design Competition Guidelines summarizes the archaeological findings at the site.
Archaeological studies in 1999, 2000, and 2004 provided tangible evidence of the cemetery's survival after more than 125 years of neglect and destruction. The goals of the archaeological investigations focused on the identification of burial locations to ensure protection during development, future maintenance of the site, and the recovery of information about the cemetery for use in the memorial design process. Extensive archaeological investigations by the City of Alexandria in 2007 produced a map of known graves and areas where graves probably still survive, as well as locations of an entrance, carriage path, and Native American artifacts. The archaeological map must serve as a roadmap for design and construction so that all graves and Native American materials will be protected and the people buried there will be afforded dignity and respect in the years to come.
Of the approximately 1,800 graves once located in the cemetery, more than 500 have been identified through archaeological investigations. It is thought that at least half of the historic graves still survive. Hundreds remain in areas that have not been investigated but appear to have been protected (for example, under the two concrete slabs of the 20th century structures and below the asphalt and sidewalk of South Washington Street ). No grave can be associated with a particular person, since a list of plot numbers has never been discovered.
Historical records and archaeological information provide some understanding of the cemetery's historic landscape. A wooden, picket fence surrounded the cemetery. It is thought that it was probably similar to the one originally built around Alexandria National Cemetery, though less ornate. The Army Quartermaster Corps supplied headboards at the time of the burial. Each headboard was probably white-washed and had the name of the deceased written in black lettering, as seen in the Alexandria National Cemetery photograph on page 2-6. A small shed was situated on the site for tools and biers. Graves were kept “ever at the ready” by a three-man team of gravediggers who were freedmen themselves.
The gravediggers prepared each grave individually, and the graves were placed very close to one another in orderly rows. Archaeological investigations discovered lines of more than 50 graves extending north/south across the width of the cemetery parallel to South Washington Street. More than 46 rows of graves extend east/west parallel to Church Street. (The historic cemetery would have been larger.) A 12-foot gap between rows of graves along South Washington Street is believed to have been the entrance to the cemetery, and a carriage path extended westerly into the cemetery.
The deceased were placed in coffins that could be supplied by the family or purchased from the Army. Standard coffin sizes were produced at 2½, 4, 5, and 6-foot lengths for “destitute contrabands.” Fees were charged to others, $2 to $5 depending upon size. The length of the grave shaft, or in some cases the coffin, was found through the archaeological work. While it is not possible to determine the gender of the deceased, children's graves are distinguishable by their small size. Analysis of the death records shows that more than half of those buried in the cemetery were under the age of ten.
When the City archaeologists encountered areas with disturbance, the upper parts of burials were often missing. Coffins were sometimes found just inches under the asphalt. The surveyed coffins have been generally hexagonal in shape, which is indicative of the traditional “shouldered” style common in late 18th and early 19th centuries. Coffin screws and tacks were used to fasten the lid to the coffin box, and decorative hinges allowed the top of the coffin to be opened for viewing of the deceased. A fragment of a coffin handle also indicates that the individual may have been carried by mourners to the grave. The book of deaths chronicles that chaplains officiated at some of the civilian services, while soldiers were buried with military honors. Although no grave goods were discovered, one set of burials in the western part of the cemetery did have a covering of oyster shells. Many other pieces of ceramic and glass were discovered during the investigation, but it is not known if they were associated with the graves. Two Civil War-era bullets were also found.
Further evidence of the desecration of some graves could be seen as coffin wood, coffin tacks, and, in some cases, human remains were found out of place, and some graves were completely graded away. White porcelain shirt buttons were also found. All artifacts associated with graves and human remains were recorded and left in place.
Thousands of Native American artifacts made of quartz and quartzite have been discovered while investigating the cemetery. The artifacts represent thousands of years of stone tool-making. The oldest artifact ever found in Alexandria, a 13,000 year-old Clovis spear point, was recovered here in 2007. A buried portion of the western slope of the cemetery continues to be a significant Native American archaeological site.
Materials from the 20th century use of the site were retained. The concrete and cinder block slabs of the gas station and office building remain, as well as a brick retaining wall and stairs leading to the latter. They give tangible testimony to the period when the cemetery was disrespected and damaged.
Archaeological resources present the most complex and important opportunities and constraints in reclaiming the cemetery and creating the memorial. Graves must not be disturbed during the design and construction phases of the project and must be respected in the future. The Native American area of the site must also be protected. After completion of the archaeological work, at least two feet of fill dirt was placed on top of the cemetery and Native American site. There should be no excavations deeper than the modern fill soil that overlays the site.
Remote Sensing 1996 -1998
In 1996 a documentary study was conducted, followed by remote sensing (ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic surveys), both conducted by personnel from Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. The remote sensing surveys were limited to the Old Town Mobil Station property. Both surveys indicated areas of disturbance in the eastern half of the property, including utility lines, a tank field and a waste oil tank. These surveys also recorded at least seven north-south-running lines of subsurface anomalies that had the potential of being graves. The report on this investigation concludes, “Given the high potential for the existence of burials beneath the asphalt, especially in the rear of the lot, it is recommended that all design and construction plans avoid subsurface impacts in this area” (Stevens et al. 1997:E-2). It adds the recommendation that if there are plans to impact the property, an archaeological investigation should be conducted to ascertain the nature of the anomalies and determine if burials are present.
In December 1998, URS Corporation and Geosight, Inc. conducted a geophysical, or remote sensing, survey on the VDOT land to the south and west of the gas station. One area was identified that had the potential for containing graves. The report recommended that archaeological excavations be conducted to better understand the nature of the soil stratigraphy and determine if graves were present.
Excavations on the VDOT Property 1999-2000
Excavations undertaken by archaeologist with URS Corporation established that burials were extant in the VDOT land on the southern part of the site. A total of 78 graves were identified. Based upon this work, the cemetery was determined eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
In this work, archaeologists opened nine trenches in one area and twenty-five excavation units in another. A small area was stripped using a backhoe, and then excavated by hand to identify the location of grave shafts. The goal was to identify the location of grave shafts, but not to excavate the burials.
In addition to the grave shafts, other archaeological discoveries were made. On one part of the property, the soil stratigraphy showed multiply layers of fill extending to a depth of more than 13 feet. This was possibly the result of mining clay by the late 19th-century brick-making company, located on the adjacent block to the northeast, which once owned this property. Other finds included the articulated skeleton of a cow, and a well-preserved upright wooden barrel without a lid, possibly the remains of a well or privy. Over 1,300 prehistoric lithics were recovered from the plow zone and fill soils.
Excavations on the Gas Station and Office Building Lots 2004
Alexandria Archaeology undertook further excavations in 2004 to obtain general information about the depth of the fill across the property, the presence or absence of buried surface soils, and the limits of the cemetery. Results from this phase of work were used in planning for the demolition monitoring and data recovery phases of work, and will be ultimately used for the design of the park.
The excavations confirmed the presence of graves in the portions of the site that are privately owned. Fourteen trenches were excavated and the locations for 45 burials were identified on the gas station and office building lots, bringing the total number of graves discovered at the cemetery site to 123. Glass fragments of one artifact, an aqua canning jar, were found in a buried surface layer on the site and may represent a grave offering or adornment for one of the burials. In addition, the buried surface layer yielded evidence of Native American occupation.
Archaeological Excavations 2007
From May through December 2007, City archaeologists and a temporary crew carefully excavated extensive areas of the site in order to determine areas where graves no longer are preserved and where ones still remain. Care was taken so no grave shaft or burial was disturbed. The archaeologists located more than 400 additional graves during the 2007 field season, bringing the total number of burials identified to more than 500. The burials were in fairly regular north/south running rows, all in the traditional Christian east-west orientation. The work also resulted in the discovery of the location of a possible carriage path into the site with an entrance on South Washington Street.
The investigation confirmed that construction of the gas station in 1955 and office building in 1960 had significant impact on the cemetery. Most of the original knoll was graded and the original ground surface of the cemetery only remains in a few places. This earlier construction disturbed the graves in some areas. Where the original ground surface survived along the western portion of the property, excavations yielded a few historic artifacts, including one grave that was marked on the surface with large oyster shells. Excavations also showed that, in the 19 th century, the cemetery was dug through a significant prehistoric site. Many lithic (stone) artifacts were found, mostly dating to the Woodland and Archaic periods along with one Clovis point from the earlier Paleoindian period.
The work has moved inside and the tasks now involve interpreting what was excavated over the previous seven months.
A map documenting locations of graves in the cemetery has been produced from the archaeological work and guidelines prepared to make sure that the graves are protected during construction of the memorial.
A database of recorded information from each individual grave is currently being compiled. This database will be linked to the site map to create a tool with which we can ask further questions and look at the site in more spatial terms.
As of March 2008, we have complete (length and width) measurements for 243 graves. These provide some suggestion of child vs. adult graves. Of these, 53 (or 18%) are likely child graves. Two hundred and three (or 70%) were sized for an adult. These numbers may be refined as analysis and interpretation progress.
Meanwhile, over 20 loads of clean fill dirt have been brought onto the site to create a 2 foot deep protective buffer overtop of the graves we found. The dirt cannot be spread right now, until the ground dries out or freezes solid enough to spread it. So far, the weather has not been cooperating. Once it does, the dirt will be spread and the ground prepared for seeding. While the site sits, work on the Freedmen's Cemetery continues inside.
A consultant historian will conduct research and write a history of Alexandria's Freedmen's Cemetery during this phase of the project. Funds have been provided by a Save America's Treasures grant to include publication of the history and preparation of additional web materials.
