LEWES, Del.-Â For 100 years, the Saint George's AME Cemetery served as the only resting place for African Americans in Lewes. Burial records were lost over time but many believed there were about 200 people who are laid to rest there.
Archaeologist Edward Otter prepared the study and says radar technology produced a different result.
"All it does is identify disturbances in the soils that you can't see from above ground," Otter said. "It turns out the soils in the Lewes area because of the lack of rocks and uniformity in the soils it's very good from using radar."
Radar is not perfectly accurate but the study concludes it is likely that 550 people are buried at the cemetery. Those people include members of Louis E. Riley's family. He is grateful that work like this is being done.
"Two young ladies that started this interview or survey said that 'Well Lou, you're almost related to everybody in the cemetery and that's true," Riley said. "But that's what they said in Lewes all these years that we're related and that's true."
The Greater Lewes Foundation provided the platform for Dawnel White and Pam Brown to raise money for the study. Executive Director Mike Rawl says it cost $20,000.
"I think it's very important to do everything we can to remind people at one time it was a very vibrant and self-sufficient population that accounted for 25 to 30 percent of the residents in Lewes who are a part of Lewes's history," Rawl said.
In a letter that the Greater Lewes Foundation sent out, it says that White and Brown intend to have more research done on the cemetery and the people buried here. The conclusion of the study says any additional research would be beneficial for any families who want to know more
A key step to learning even more about who is resting here and other information that remains to be dug up.