Buried in Haste: Historic Interments from Governors Island, New York

Abstract

Data recovery investigations conducted by Louis Berger & Associates, Inc. at the U.S. Coast Guard Support Center, Governors Island, New York, recovered evidence of a heretofore undocumented late-18th to early-19th century cemetery outside of Castle Williams. Subsurface investigations were conducted to address questions related to the nature, context, and extent of human remains encountered during the excavation of an electrical utility trench in the northwest section of the island. A total of six human burials was recovered from within burial shafts manifest through soil color differences. On the basis of the archaeological, osteological, and paleopathological analysis, we concluded that the individuals interred outside of Castle Williams represent late-18th or early-19th century Colonial-born, Caucasoid males probably stationed on the island as enlisted military personnel.