The Ben Ross Homeplace at Indian Landing: "Ten Acres of Land for and During of His Life Time, Peaceable to Remain…"

Summary

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 father of Harriet Tubman. Ross lived in this area with several people, including his children, during the first half of the 19th century. This paper discusses the methods used to discover the domestic site, details surviving cultural features, and highlights important artifacts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025   •
• The Archaeology of Harriet Tubman's Birthplace

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow