Excavation of graves begins at site of colonial Black church

By BEN FINLEY
Associated Press

Archaeologists in Virginia have begun excavating three suspected graves at the original site of one of the nation’s oldest Black churches. If human remains are found, experts will conduct DNA tests and bone analysis to determine who was buried there and how they lived. The First Baptist Church was formed in 1776 by free and enslaved Black people in Williamsburg. Members initially met secretly in fields and under trees in defiance of laws that prevented African Americans from congregating. A total of 41 apparent burial plots have been identified. The suspected graves were discovered last year after the church’s original structure was unearthed. The land is part of what is now Colonial Williamsburg, the living history museum.