Location
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS)
Session Format
Oral Presentation
Co-Presenters and Faculty Mentors or Advisors
Dr. Matthew Compton, Faculty Advisor
Abstract
The merger of Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University resulted in the unification of archaeological collections of the two institutions. Several boxes of human remains were encountered among the Armstrong materials. Writing on the boxes indicated they included materials from the Graham Vault in Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, last excavated in 1980. Two prominent individuals thought to have been interred in this vault were Revolutionary War commanders Lieutenant-Colonel John Maitland and Major General Nathanael Greene. The goal of this project was to determine how many individuals are represented, and if possible, the identification of the individuals. After conducting a review of online historical documents providing a timeline of events and recorded interments into the vault, skeletal and material analyses were conducted. It was determined that the first interment was Lt.-Col. Maitland in 1779 and three more individuals, including Major General Greene, were interred between 1786 and 1845. At least five individuals were present in the materials including one infant and one person of advanced age. Also present are the remnants of a wooden coffin, ceramics, and glass fragments. These findings and recommendations for reburial have been reported to the City of Savannah.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Presentation Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Williams, Leigha, "The Graham Vault: Analysis of Skeletal Material Found After Reopening in 1980" (2021). GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium. 74.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2021/2021/74
The Graham Vault: Analysis of Skeletal Material Found After Reopening in 1980
College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (CBSS)
The merger of Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University resulted in the unification of archaeological collections of the two institutions. Several boxes of human remains were encountered among the Armstrong materials. Writing on the boxes indicated they included materials from the Graham Vault in Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia, last excavated in 1980. Two prominent individuals thought to have been interred in this vault were Revolutionary War commanders Lieutenant-Colonel John Maitland and Major General Nathanael Greene. The goal of this project was to determine how many individuals are represented, and if possible, the identification of the individuals. After conducting a review of online historical documents providing a timeline of events and recorded interments into the vault, skeletal and material analyses were conducted. It was determined that the first interment was Lt.-Col. Maitland in 1779 and three more individuals, including Major General Greene, were interred between 1786 and 1845. At least five individuals were present in the materials including one infant and one person of advanced age. Also present are the remnants of a wooden coffin, ceramics, and glass fragments. These findings and recommendations for reburial have been reported to the City of Savannah.
