Before construction crews broke ground on a new development, our team investigated a small, mid-nineteenth through early-twentieth-century family cemetery associated with a branch of the locally known Embrey family. Located in an active construction zone, our archaeologists worked with the construction team to quickly delineate the cemetery following safety protocols. This resulted in subsequent removal of 13 burials and their associated markers, allowing the surrounding area to be graded and prepped for development.
The project included archival research and oral histories with family members, documentation of the grave markers, mechanical removal of the topsoil to expose grave shafts, excavation of identified graves, identification and analysis of human remains; associated grave goods and coffin hardware, and the production of a report. The archaeological studies were followed by the reinterment of the remains in a perpetual care burial ground. Our team worked closely with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) to obtain the required burial permit and an associated permit extension.
