Slave Cemetery Survey
In 2014 archaeological investigations at the Mount Vernon Slave Cemetery began and is still ongoing today.
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Archaeology has shaped our knowledge of George and Martha Washington's life and the daily experience of the enslaved community at Mount Vernon.
Archaeologists use diverse bits of evidence to learn more about how people shaped the landscape of Mount Vernon, and in turn how the landscape shaped the interactions of people with each other.
This evidence is incredibly diverse in form and age. Everything from a building foundation to a small seed bead used to adorn a dress, a several thousand-year-old stone tool to coins dropped by a tourist twenty years ago, can be encountered by our staff on a daily basis.
But large or small, ancient or new, each piece of evidence is valuable as a window into a moment in time.
Mount Vernon’s archaeological holdings are an extremely valuable resource for understanding the long history of humans in the Chesapeake region of the United States.
A professional archaeological survey conducted in 1984 identified dozens of archaeological sites, and over a hundred locations of archaeological interest, throughout the property. Artifacts from these sites provide evidence of human lifeways from the Early Archaic period (beginning ca. 8,000 B.C.E.) through the modern day. Of course, many of these sites are particularly important for the study of eighteenth-century plantation life in the Chesapeake.
Major excavations include the house for families slave quarter, slave cemetery, Washington’s Distillery, the south grove midden, and the upper garden.
Curious when and where you can see Mount Vernon's archaeology team at work? Want to understand what they are looking for?
Archaeological investigations show that Mount Vernon was an attractive location for Native communities for thousands of years prior to the arrival of the Washington family.
What’s inside a cracked medicine jar found in the
South Grove Midden on the estate grounds?
This was one of the most exciting and informative archaeological projects at Mount Vernon.
The House for Families, in existence by the 1760s, was the main dwelling for enslaved people who lived at Washington’s Mansion House Farm.
Archaeologists interpret artifacts by exploring the form and origins of objects, then attempt to situate such objects within broader social functions, and finally begin to untangle how those broad social contexts can inform our interpretation of object used in daily life.
Many discoveries were made at the Porter’s Lodge site, including finding a 1780s Spanish half real coin.
The results from archaeological efforts led to the successful reconstruction of the Distillery at Mount Vernon.
During this excavation, we explored what Mount Vernon looked like before the Revolutionary War.
Archaeology work has been done at Mount Vernon since the early 20th century.
At Mount Vernon we use George Washington's words, combined with archaeology and oral history with descendants, to piece together the stories of Mount Vernon’s enslaved community.
Archaeologists use a wide range of terminology in their work. Explore this list of some of their most commonly used terms and tools.
Volunteers and interns have helped Mount Vernon's archaeologists since 1987, donating more than 50,000 hours towards researching and restoring the estate.
Archaeological Field Research Manager Joe Downer provides a glimpse of Mount Vernon’s archaeological collection.