One of the fascinating things about ancient cities is how easy it can be to dig into the ground without knowing what you will find. This is true in cities like Rome, where construction workers discovering archeological sites regularly halt…
Archaeologists confirm grave sites are related to one of the oldest Black Baptist churches in America
Archaeologists and scientists have confirmed the remains of three individuals buried in the Historical Area of Colonial Williamsburg are early 19th-century ancestors of First Baptist Church, one of the oldest Black congregations in the United States. DNA and bone analysis…
Is a new archaeological find from Mount Ebal a game-changer or not?
Have you heard about the Mount Ebal inscription? It has excited a diverse group of individuals. From the nerdiest of the nerds who get lit about new ancient inscriptions to evangelical apologists who are enthusiastic when archaeology seems to corroborate…
How we’re learning to see and hear the Black experience at Colonial Williamsburg
Last week, when I left Williamsburg to drive to Peace Hill, my cousin’s farm in the next county, I could hear my uncle’s instructions over the phone during our first trip to Williamsburg in 1997. “Take the road to Jamestown…
Desire to validate the Bible makes Christians easy prey for archaeological forgeries
The early morning air breathes hot on her face as archaeologist Cynthia Shafer-Elliott picks up her trowel to begin her work she describes as “not for the fainthearted.” Before her stands a mound of dirt, otherwise known as a “tel,”…