About The Oldest Burial Ground In America
America's oldest designated burial ground is also home to the oldest tombstone
A burial ground is any designated area of land where human remains are interred, encompassing all forms of burial sites regardless of their formal status, religious affiliation, historical period, or current maintenance level. A cemetery, graveyard or burying site are all considered a specific type of burial ground.
Funeral & Cemetery Items On Ebay.com
The Jamestown Burial Ground, often referred to as the 1607 Burial Ground, is an archaeological site within the original James Fort in Jamestown, Virginia—the first permanent English settlement in North America, established on May 14, 1607. It is considered the oldest designated burial ground in America.
Located in the southwest corner of the fort, it served as the primary burial site for colonists who died during the settlement's harrowing first year, when mortality rates were extraordinarily high due to disease, famine, conflict, and environmental challenges.
Unlike traditional cemeteries, this was not a formally designated or maintained graveyard but a makeshift burial area inside the fort's palisade walls, chosen to conceal the colony's dwindling numbers from local Native American tribes, per instructions from the Virginia Company.
More Funeral & Cemetery Items On Ebay.com
The site is part of Historic Jamestowne, managed by Preservation Virginia and the National Park Service, and has been under active excavation by the Jamestown Rediscovery project since the early 2000s. It is not a continuously maintained cemetery like the Myles Standish Burial Ground but an archaeological resource yielding insights into early colonial struggles.
Each cross marks a body/skeleton discovered in the recent APVA excavations that rediscovered the original site of the Jamestown settlement. Eloquent testimony about the high mortality they suffered in the colony's early years -- due to starvation, disease, and Indian conflicts. Archaeological excavations have uncovered numerous graves, providing insights into the lives and deaths of these early settlers.
The Jamestown Burial Ground is also home to the oldest tombstone in America, the "Knight's Tombstone" dating to around 1627. This black limestone slab was originally placed in the floor of the second Jamestown church and likely belonged to Sir George Yeardley, the first colonial governor of Virginia. Recent research has identified the stone's origin as Belgium and suggests it was a luxurious item, imported to the colony to display wealth.
The stone was originally placed in the floor of the 1617 Jamestown church. After being moved during a reconstruction in the 1640s, it was lost for more than two centuries. It was rediscovered in 1901, and after restoration, it was installed in its current location within the chancel of the Jamestown Memorial Church.
Jamestown was founded by 104 English men and boys under the Virginia Company, arriving on the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery ships. The triangular James Fort was constructed within a month of landing to defend against threats from Spanish forces and local Powhatan tribes.
Coming Soon!
The first year, known as the "starving time" precursor, was devastating. Only 38 survivors remained by spring 1608, with 66 deaths attributed to diseases (e.g., swellings, fluxes, burning fevers), famine, and skirmishes. Survivor George Percy documented the grim conditions, noting that 50 died between May and September 1607 alone.
Burials were conducted hastily inside the fort to mask vulnerabilities, as revealing deaths could invite attacks. Graves were not arranged in orderly rows, reflecting urgency, and most were simple shafts without markers or coffins, though some high-status individuals received more elaborate treatment.
Ebay.com Funeral & Cemetery Items
The burial ground fell out of use after 1607, with later structures (e.g., a 1611 rowhouse) built over some graves, confirming their early date. By the mid-17th century, Jamestown expanded, and other burial sites emerged, such as those near later churches.The site was long thought lost to river erosion until rediscovered in the 1990s.
The Jamestown Rediscovery project, launched in 1994 by Preservation Virginia under archaeologist William Kelso, aimed to locate the lost James Fort. By 1996, the fort's foundations were found, and in 2003–2008, excavations removed overlying Confederate earthworks from the Civil War-era Fort Pocahontas to access 17th-century layers. This revealed ~36 grave shafts in the burial ground, identified via ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and manual digging.
The 1607 Burial Ground illuminates the brutal realities of early colonization: High death rates, youthful demographics, and survival strategies. It corrects myths (e.g., fort lost to erosion) and provides forensic data on health, origins, and society.
Recognized in top archaeology lists (e.g., 2010 church, 2013 cannibalism, 2015 leaders), it attracts visitors, educators, and researchers. Ethical excavations prioritize respect, with reinterment planned. As an active dig, it evolves our understanding of America's origins, contrasting with maintained cemeteries by emphasizing archaeological rather than memorial continuity.
Note: Although Native American burial grounds are older, they do not have visible markers or gravestones. Many are preserved as sacred or protected land, but you usually can’t see individual graves. Jamestown Burial Ground, by contrast, is considered the oldest marked burial ground in America because it has physical markers (grave outlines, headstones, or identifiable burial locations).