Engaging With Descendant African American Communities

Background 

The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) and the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) have started a project called "Engaging with Descendant African American Communities." 

Our goal is to identify the families or communities connected to the remains of at least 15 people of African descent. These ancestors are currently being cared for at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) in Calvert County. 

We will use family records, land history, and potentially DNA testing to find a respectful way to return these individuals to the earth. We want to work closely with descendant communities to create a reburial plan that honors their history and legacy. 

Ancestors at the MAC Lab 

The MAC Lab cares for millions of Maryland artifacts. Most of the human remains at the lab were found unexpectedly during construction projects between the 1960s and 1990s. 

Today, Maryland policy is different: we strongly discourage digging up human remains and prefer to leave them preserved where they are. 

Currently, the MAC Lab cares for 73 individuals. Fifteen of these people are of African or possible African descent. While they are at the lab, they are kept in a private, respectful "place of repose" that is: 

• Hidden from public view
• Kept in a safe environment for long-term preservation
• Organized so that families or groups are not mixed together
• Accessible only for official research or by permission from MHT 

Where These Individuals Were Found 

We are looking for information about communities or families near these locations: 

• Deep Creek (Anne Arundel County): Four people (two women, one teenage boy, and one infant) likely buried in the 1700s or 1800s.
• Gott Cemetery (Calvert County): One woman of African descent and one man of unknown descent, likely buried in the 1700s or 1800s.
• Chapel Point (Charles County): Three people (a child and two men) found due to land erosion. They were likely buried around 1820.
• Bennett’s Point (Queen Anne’s County): One man of possible African descent found at an 18th-century site.
• Twin Oaks (Wicomico County): Two people (a young man and a woman) likely buried in the 1800s. 

Next Steps 

A dedicated working group is now creating a plan to lay these individuals to rest permanently. We hope this project will serve as a model for how other museums and labs can respectfully return ancestors to their communities.