Lyle,
There may be indirect information in the following:
Fremmer, R., 1973. Dishes in Colonial Graves: Evidence from Jamaica.
Historical Archaeology, 7, 58-62.

I don't know whether any excavation has taken place in Newport RI on the
African burial section of the ground there, but the late 17th/early 18th c
burials and markers were recorded in: 

Tashjian, A. & D. Tashjian, 1992. The Afro-American Section of Newport,
Rhode Island's Common Burying Ground, in Cemeteries and Grave Markers:
Voices of American Culture, ed. R. E. Meyer Logan: Utah State University
Press, 163-96.

I would consider the cross-over between African and Native American rituals
for this period, as there is archaeological evidence in New England for
syncretic practices, both mortuary and domestic, and some dating evidence.

All the best
Giovanna





-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lyle E.
Browning
Sent: 23 March 2012 17:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Ritual deposits on African-American graves

I am working on a burial permit for a somewhat problematical graveyard
containing 60-100 people in Southside VA. The earliest land ownership is in
the 1770's with the last of the family out of the area by 1828. The marked
graves have fieldstone headers and some footers. The presumption is that
they are African-American slaves and descendants who were buried from the
1770's up to a totally unknown date, presumably well after the Civil War
based upon the number of counted burials and the possibility of more that
were not discernible as surface depressions.

Some African-American graveyards have produced what can for once be
correctly termed "ritual" deposits consisting of items placed in memory of
the departed, glassware and other objects.

My question is when this started? The earliest I have seen is solarized
glass on a SC graveyard with objects up to the 1940's when the area became
off-limits due to ownership.

Some of the very much later objects were in trees and some were also
obviously surface deposits which has implications for the top 6 inches of
soil in the graveyard in question.

Any information would be gratefully received.

Thanks,

Lyle Browning, RPA