Prehistoric Ossuaries of the Middle Atlantic

Dennis Curry

At the February 11 CCASM Zoom meeting Dennis Curry talked about known Middle Atlantic ossuaries ranging from Cape Henlopen, Delaware to Cape Fear, North Carolina that also includes a number of examples from Charles County. 

Ossuaries are mass graves containing the gathered, often disarticulated, skeletal remains of multiple individuals.  Dennis described the various “mechanics” of ossuary burial, including primary burial treatments, preparations for secondary burial, and the eventual mass reburial of multiple individuals in a communal grave pit.  He also discussed the role ossuaries may have played in the social landscape, and their reflection of status from both individual and community perspectives.  For some background information check out this MHT Blog entry Prehistoric Ossuaries: A Personal Journey

Ground Penetrating Radar Results

Ossuary Ceremony

Dennis Curry retired from the Maryland Historical Trust Archaeology Department where he was the Chief Archaeologist.  He is also the author of the book  Feast of the Dead: Aboriginal Ossuaries of Maryland.

A snapshot of a few of those listening to the talk -

Attendance: 18