Unearthing a Legacy.
Dig Mitchelville is the official, publicly accessible digital archive of
archaeological and historical research at Historic Mitchelville
Freedom Park.
Funded in part by Alice L. Walton Foundation
Current Archaeology
At Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, archaeology connects today’s community with the remarkable history of this sacred ground—the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States. Through educational programming and accessible digital archives, we’re sharing stories that belong to all.
Artifacts and Features
Archaeology isn’t just artifacts: This is a photograph of the cross section of a hearth, or a cooking fire. When past human activities leave stains
Native American ceramic sherd
Archaeology Volunteer holding Native American ceramic sherd: During the construction of the Ghost Structure, archaeologists encountered many artifacts from the Indigenous people who used the
Artifacts Recovered
Artifacts Spanning the Years : artifacts recovered from recent archaeological work spanning the Early Woodland period (2000-1000 BC) to the 1980’s
Archaeology Collections
For over four decades, archaeologists have been uncovering the stories buried beneath Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park—the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved people in the United States. From the pioneering work of the 1980s to recent community-engaged excavations, each project has added crucial pieces to our understanding of this sacred ground where freedom, democracy, citizenship, and opportunity first took root for Gullah Islanders.
1980’s The Chicora Foundation
In the 1980’s The Chicora Foundation did the first archaeology work in what would become Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park : This is a photograph from
Remote Sensing Begins
Binghamton University Students take first Ground Penetrating Radar scans of the park. They were hoping to find evidence of the first church or Praise House.
Mitchelville’s First Church
Search for Mitchelville’s First Church: After using Ground Penetrating Radar to narrow down where the first Church or Praise House might have been, Binghamton Students
Community Programs
