Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland

In 1659, Maryland’s colonial government granted land to Thomas Taylor, an Englishman who established a tobacco plantation north of St. Mary’s City (later named Harleigh). Archaeologist Darrin Lowery discovered a series of cobblestones on a knoll at Harleigh, suggesting the presence of a cemetery. William Kelso’s team conducted an archaeological investigation and confirmed the site, which they named Harleigh Knoll, as a cemetery containing 35 potential graves.

Excavation revealed well-preserved wooden coffins thanks to the fine, sandy soil. Among the graves, one labeled HK9 contained the remains of an adult man, but with an unusual discovery: The skull was missing, likely dislodged by the later burial of an infant in the same grave shaft. HK9’s remains showed signs of age and labor, with arthritis and a condition called DISH indicating a lifetime of strenuous physical activity. A brass button found among the remains suggested a burial date between 1726 and 1776.

Another grave, HK7, contained the remains of a young woman whose skull suggested African ancestry. HK7’s bones indicated a life of hard labor, with muscle attachment sites on the arm bones. Further analysis revealed her teeth showed few signs of decay, possibly due to the high fluoride content in the area’s water.