While visiting Rochester, New York, I read an article in the local newspaper about a slave graveyard that had been uncovered near Albany, New York.  I was impressed with how the community was coming together to rebury the slaves with the honor they deserve.

Shortly after reading article, I discovered Lois Miner Huey had written a book about slave graveyards entitled “Forgotten Bones:  Uncovering a Slave Cemetery.”  I met Lois several years ago at a Highlights Writer’s Workshop and asked to interview her.

In her book, Lois discusses three grave sites uncovered in New York City, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and the Albany site on the Schuyler family farm.

How unusual is it to find slave graveyards in northern states?

Many sites have been found that date back to the 19th century in the northern states.  They are located mostly near churches.   Only three grave sites have been uncovered that date back to the 18th century.  All three were located away from white habitation sites and not near churches.

How did researchers identify who the burial grounds belonged to?

The slave cemetery found on the Schuyler property no doubt was associated with that family. It was identified by me and other archaeologists many years ago.  Because of its significance to local history it had been turned into a town park.  The second site was located on a colonial New York City map. When archaeologists tested this site, they found almost nothing. But when the construction machinery reached twenty feet below modern ground surface, they hit bone. That shows how much soil can build up in a city over time. The third site was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, near what once was the water front. This burial ground was found under a street during construction of a new sewer line.

What did archaeologists and scientists learn about the lives of the slaves buried at the sites?

The bones from the three sites showed the tremendous amount of work these slaves did. Most people in the 18th century worked hard, but these people got room and board of varying quality and nothing out of what they did.  They weren’t working for themselves but for the benefit of their enslavers. They all showed traces of overwork: torn muscles on the bones, early arthritis, bone breakage, and, in New York City, traces of malnutrition.

The Schuyler slaves lived on a farm where they apparently were able to grow their own food (in the little time they had each day to do something for themselves) so signs of malnutrition weren’t found on their bones. The most surprising find was the differing backgrounds of these people. DNA studies showed Native American ancestry for some and Madagascarian ancestry for others.  Madagascar is located off the coast of East Africa, while most enslaved people came from West Africa.

What findings most impressed you as an archaeologist?

None of the people found in the Schuyler burial ground were related through the female line. So they had to form their own community despite differing backgrounds, perhaps language problems, and abilities. Fifty percent of the skeletons in each of the three burial grounds were children, so the slaves had to overcome those losses on top worrying about losing family members who might be sold. Their lives were pretty much out of their own control and the hard work reflected on the bones shows their amazing contributions to the building this country. They dug the ditches, lifted the timbers, plowed the fields, cooked the food, and trained the horses–all for someone else.

What has happened to the remains of the slaves found at the sites?

A public cemetery located near the Schuyler burial grounds gave land for the reburial. Local artisans donated their time to decorate the ossuary boxes, funeral homes offered transportation for the boxes, Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site had the boxes laid out for the public to view, and local clergy participated in the burial ceremony. A similar ceremony occurred in New York City where the skeletons were re-interred in the same ground, and a museum dedicated to them was opened. Signs have been installed along the street in Portsmouth identifying the grave site and funds are being raised for a memorial and reburial there.