African-American Cemetery - Charleston, SC - Worldwide Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

A sign at the site reads:

"What began as a slave cemetery once occupied this site. In that tradition, prized possessions, symbolic items and everyday objects to help the dead in the afterlife were placed on graves. Burial plots were then allowed to return to nature rather than being 'manicured' as was the practice in Euro-American cemeteries.

Unfortunately, cultural misunderstanding can reach beyond the grave. Because miscellaneous objects were found in this seemingly untended environment, the site was not recognized as a burial ground until it was too late: the many "grave goods" were cleared away in the 1970s. Since that time, our knowledge and appreciation of the culture that created this cemetery has grown."

The following additional information is from the Find A Grave (visit link) website, which identifies at least three graves still located in the cemetery:

"The African American Cemetery is located at Charles Towne Landing. It dates from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century.

In 1974, research on the cemetery was published by John Combs from the SC Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology. This paper is recognized as the first academic study of African American burial practices and cemeteries in the US. The cemetery continues to be a research focus for the park."

City, Town, or Parish / State / Country: Charleston, South Carolina, USA Approximate number of graves: At least 3 graves remain Cemetery Status: Inactive Maintained Cemetery Website: [Web Link]

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