African Burial Ground discovery and memorial

The African Burial Ground National Monument commemorates a late‑17th to late‑18th‑century burial ground for free and enslaved Africans discovered during federal building construction in 1991 in Lower Manhattan. Archaeological excavation, forensic analysis, and historical research documented the remains and associated artifacts, leading to federal designation of the site and establishment of a memorial and visitor center interpreting its significance. The discovery and memorialization have been central to local lore and scholarly work on New York's African and African‑American history.