DORCHESTER COUNTY, Md. — Archaeologists in Maryland have uncovered artifacts believed to have belonged to Harriet Tubman and her father, Ben Ross, at a site deep within the wetlands of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
A team from the Maryland Department of Transportation spent four years studying the site of Ross’s home, uncovering kitchenware, bones, and other historical items.
“When we actually purchased Peter’s Neck in February of 2020, we weren’t sure then that there was this history there, but we had heard rumors about it,” said Marcia Pradines-Long, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge manager.
That prompted the state to investigate.
“They believed that Harriet Tubman’s father, Ben Ross, had 10 acres in this old house on part of the property,” Pradines-Long said.
Among the discoveries were broken pieces of pottery from plates or bowls, a silver spoon, and clothing buttons.
“We dug about a thousand holes, and about that time, that’s when we finally believe we found the location,” said Julie Schablitsky, MDOT’s chief archaeologist.
Bricks, window glass, a tobacco pipe, and small animal bones were also found. Schablitsky said these items provide insight into what Ross and Tubman may have eaten or rationed. She added, "The exact artifacts we found that were most interesting to us included tobacco pipe bowls, which had—one of them had—a bald eagle on it, which symbolizes freedom,” Schablitsky said. “But when you find the symbol of freedom in the home of someone who was enslaved, perhaps it meant something different to the person who smoked it. And although Ben Ross lived there, we do know that Harriet Tubman also lived there as a teenager. So was it Harriet Tubman’s, you know, tobacco pipe?”
However, the site itself remains off-limits to visitors.
“The dream has always been to have people down there so they can experience where they lived. But the problem is, is that sea level rise has made that impossible. The archaeological site— a lot of it’s underwater, and the rest of it will soon be lost,” Schablitsky said.
To make the findings accessible, MDOT has launched an interactive website where the public can explore the artifacts and their historical significance.
MDOT’s work at the site is now complete, but archaeologists say evidence suggests Native American presence in the area. Artifacts such as arrowheads indicate that members of the Nause-Waiwash Tribe once lived there as well.