The 17th-century cemetery at St. Mary’s City: Mortuary practices in the Early Chesapeake

Excavation of plow zone units in and around the 17th-century Catholic Chapel at St. Mary’s City, Maryland, revealed the presence of over 190 grave shafts. Although none of these were excavated, the observable characteristics of these features, such as their orientation, location, and inclusion of rubble in the fill, provide significant insights on the use of the cemetery through time. Grave orientation is suggested as a sensitive indicator of changing land use at the site. The discovery of a number of smaller features, associated with the graves, is evaluated as evidence of wooden grave markers. Detailed analysis of a part of the cemetery is used to suggest the absence of the clergy during an unsettled period in Maryland history.