Individuals Known and Unknown: Case Studies from Two Burial Contexts at Colonial Williamsburg

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Individuals Known and Unknown: Case Studies from Two Burial Contexts at Colonial Williamsburg" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Encountering human remains during archaeological excavations within the historic area of Colonial Williamsburg is not uncommon. As ethical and methodological considerations for the archaeological treatment of human remains and cemeteries have evolved, two recent projects in Williamsburg have presented an opportunity to conduct research and engage descendant communities within new frameworks. This session will explore two projects dealing with burials from contexts that couldn’t be more different: the cemetery of one of the oldest Baptist churches established by African Americans and a mass grave for Confederate casualties near the city’s powder magazine. One project was initiated by the descendant community of the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg while the other was conducted out of necessity to remove human remains from areas to be impacted by restoration work. Papers will discuss the archaeological and osteological findings, our differential abilities to identify individuals, the opportunities and challenges of DNA analysis, the role conservators and curators can play in providing humanizing details through material remains, and our efforts to empower the appropriate descendant communities. The ultimate outcome of these projects is to appropriately restore the humanity to the individuals buried at these sites.