The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace

Part of: Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace," at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In 2020,the Maryland Department of Transportation partnered with the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Harriet Tubman’s descendants to search for the home of Tubman’s father, Ben Ross. An archaeological survey across federal wetlands and private property resulted in the discovery of Ross’ homeplace and a second home. As we explored the landscape and connected with the local community, the project evolved to collect oral histories from descendants of Tubman’s family and friends. These stories and the material culture will soon be publicly shared in documentaries, virtual museums, and in signage along the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

Other Keywords
Resistance • Church • Oral History • African-American • Community • Slavery • domestic • Oysters • Public Outreach • 3D modeling

Geographic Keywords
Chesapeake • Chesapeake Bay • Eastern Shore • Chesapeake Bay, Delmarva Peninsula • Chesapeake, Eastern Shore of Maryland • Chesapeake Bay Delmarva Peninsula

Resources Inside This Collection (Viewing 1-6 of 6)

  • Documents (6)
Documents
  • Archaeology of the Mysterious Thompson Quarter (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Julie Schablitsky.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Maryland Department of Transportation archaeologists discovered a substantial brick house foundation, large cellar, and kitchen fireplace on Harriet Tubman’s Birthplace on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. While a 19th century ceramic and faunal assemblage reflect a family of humble means, the brick foundation and location adjacent...

  • The Ben Ross Homeplace at Indian Landing: "Ten Acres of Land for and During of His Life Time, Peaceable to Remain…" (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Aaron M. Levinthal.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Details gleaned from 19th century documents and archaeological excavations on the Eastern Shore of Maryland resulted in the discovery of a small, unexpectedly intact domestic site on the USFWS Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Research indicates this climate change endangered site is part of the homeplace of Ben Ross, the...

  • The Ben Ross Homeplace Virtual Museum: The Ethics, Challenges, and Benefits in Presenting Archaeological Collections in Cyberspace (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Aidan L Kirby.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. As a public agency who supports the study of the African diaspora along our transportation routes, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) engages heavily with descendant communities and public audiences. One initiative we use to stimulate interest in Maryland history and connect with the public is a virtual museum....

  • A Homeplace Behind Locked Doors: Artifact Analysis at the Ben Ross Homeplace Site (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Sean M. Jones.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Over three years of archaeological investigations along the Blackwater River in Dorchester County, Maryland led to the identification of the Ben Ross Homeplace site (18DO556), the home of Harriet Tubman’s father. The site’s artifact assemblage indicates a domestic occupation during the first half of the 19th century. A close...

  • Voices from the Past: Enriching the Record through the Malone’s Church Oral History Project (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Oluwabusayomi Felicia Odejide. Jessica Mundt.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Oral history plays an important role in preserving a community's cultural and historical identity. This paper focuses on members of Harrisville and Malone's Church, descendants of Harriet Tubman's family and friends in Dorchester County. By examining firsthand accounts and community memories, we discover the enduring influence of...

  • Windows into Nineteenth Century Rural Chesapeake Foodways: Clues from the Ben Ross Homeplace and Thompson Quarter Sites, Dorchester County, Maryland (2025)
    DOCUMENT Citation Only Ralph Koziarski.

    This is an abstract from the session entitled "The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology. Faunal remains recovered from the Ben Ross Homeplace and Thompson Quarter sites were analyzed and compared to one another as well as early to mid-nineteenth century sites on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Thompson Quarter site was lived in by enslaved and free African Americans but may have initially served as the enslaver’s...