How deep were human remains found below street level?
This African graveyard was also the site of one of New York City’s earliest landfill projects. Graves were found anywhere from 16 to 28 feet below street level, much deeper than any of the experts expected to find colonial cultural material. Cultural material includes all objects that are made, used or modified by people. The rediscovery of the African Burial Ground has changed the way urban archaeology will be conducted. Standard archaeological testing procedures, particularly in this area of Manhattan, will now need to consider the possibility of deeper deposits.
