{"id":68,"date":"2020-11-15T23:02:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-15T23:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/honoring-enslaved\/?page_id=68"},"modified":"2026-04-09T17:16:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T17:16:52","slug":"discovery-of-slave-quarters","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.smcm.edu\/honoring-enslaved\/discovery-of-slave-quarters\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovery of Slave Quarters"},"content":{"rendered":"

\nLocated in one of the original thirteen colonies and on the site of Maryland\u2019s first capital, St. Mary\u2019s College of Maryland is steeped in this country\u2019s early history. To preserve the physical evidence of this history, archaeological surveys are conducted prior to the start of any construction project.\n<\/p>\n\n

\nDr. Julia A. King, professor of anthropology at St. Mary\u2019s College, her staff, and students conducted an archaeological investigation beginning in the summer of 2016 before construction of the new Jamie L. Roberts Stadium. Through this investigation, the archaeological team uncovered ceramics, bottle glass, tobacco pipes, and other artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries. These artifacts indicated houses once stood in this location. Since the dwellings of the landowners were known, that left only two possibilities for the people who lived on this spot: enslaved or tenant families. By comparing the materials found at this site with materials found at other archaeological sites in the region, the team concluded that the proposed stadium site was once the location of slave quarters.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

ABOUT THE COMMEMORATIVE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Learn and
\n\t\tReflect with Us<\/h2>\n

\nSo we may better understand the world in which we live, it is important to learn from and reflect upon the experiences of people who were enslaved and had to fight for their freedom.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Discovery<\/h3>\n

\nDr. Julia King and her students did not know what they would find when they began to dig. In fact, they were not sure they would find anything at all. However, they discovered much more than anyone expected: \u201cAs we started picking up ceramics and tobacco pipes and nails and fragments of brick, we knew we had something.\u201d\t\n<\/p>\n

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