Weather delays grave search at Uncle Tom's Cabin

DRESDEN, Ont. - The mapping of unmarked graves at the Uncle Tom's Cabin historic site in southwestern Ontario has been delayed by the weather.

A search using ground-penetrating radar was set for today in Dresden, Ont., at the request of the Ontario Heritage Trust, but it has been postponed because of rain.

Edward Eastaugh, archeology supervisor at the University of Western Ontario in London, says ground conditions play a major factor in using the technology.

The work is now set for next Tuesday and Wednesday.

The site in Dresden is home to two historic cemeteries belonging to the British American Institute and the Henson family.

Eastaugh says the cemeteries are still in use, so the map will ensure unmarked graves are not dug up.

Although many tombstones are visible at the two cemeteries, their positions do not always precisely mark the location of the underlying graves.

Josiah Henson was one of the founders of a settlement for fugitive slaves at Dresden in the 1830s and his name became synonymous with the character Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

Henson was born into slavery in Maryland and escaped to Canada in 1830 after 41 years working as a slave.

"Historic cemeteries are notorious for having many more burials than are marked by gravestones or recorded in the cemetery records," said Eastaugh, who will lead Western's survey team.

Dena Doroszenko, archeologist for the Ontario Heritage Trust, which owns and operates the historic site, said it is important to know the exact location of all the graves in the cemetery.

Ground-penetrating radar sends radar waves into the ground that are reflected back off buried features and objects, allowing archeologists to map their position.

"This is extremely useful in archeology, particularly in situations where it is important to avoid disturbing the site as much as possible," said Neal Ferris of Western.

The work is taking place just prior to Emancipation Day on Monday, which marks the 177th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the British colonies.