Technical Report on Ancient DNA analysis of 27 African Americans from Catoctin Furnace, Maryland

Abstract

Catoctin Furnace is an industrial site that functioned from 1776–1903 and was operated at least partially by an enslaved workforce until about 1850, when it shifted to paid European laborers. A cemetery including 35 graves from which the remains of 32 individuals identified with African ancestry were excavated in 1979-1980 during construction of a highway that impacted the site. Since then, the human remains have been under the stewardship of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). The goal of this report is to document the successful generation of ancient DNA from 27 individuals from the cemetery. The analysis of the Catoctin individuals is part of a long-term study dedicated to restoring knowledge of the identity, origins, and legacy of the enslaved and free African Americans who labored and were buried at Catoctin Furnace.