Cellar unearthed beneath America's oldest Black schoolhouse reveals artifacts

Archaeologists at William & Mary University in Virginia unearthed a piece of American history tied to the oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children.

A near-complete foundation - including a chimney base - and cellar were excavated, The Associated Press (AP) reported. 

The building belongs to the Williamsburg Bray School, which taught mostly enslaved students in the 1760s using a religious framework to justify slavery. 

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The Williamsburg Bray School was later transformed into a dormitory for some of the first women to attend college.

William & Mary's Center for Archaeological Research, Tom Higgins, said the cellar "was probably dug soon after the foundations were laid" as it was not lined with bricks, reported AP.

Artifacts found from the 18th century through the mid-20th century are not known to connect to the school. 

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Recovered artifacts such as buttons and a slate pencil from the 18th century will be researched to determine their origins and connections.

Katherine Rowe, William & Mary's president, said, "The roots of our city and university entwine here."

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"Every layer of history that it reveals gives us new insights into our early republic, from the Williamsburg Bray School through the generations that followed, up through the early 20th century," she added, according to AP.

The structure was discovered in 2020 by historians and is being restored by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.