The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace

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.