Geophysical survey work by the Vanderbilt Institute for Spatial Research (VISR) locates cemetery of enslaved people at The Hermitage
In the summer of 2023, the Vanderbilt Institute for Spatial Research (VISR), directed by Professor and Chair of Anthropology Steve Wernke, was approached by the Andrew Jackson Foundation to help with determining the location of a cemetery for enslaved individuals on property of The Hermitage. VISR has since assisted with georeferencing of historical maps to define a cemetery search area, providing a surface survey of the area to geolocate features associated with burials (field stones, depressions, vegetation changes), and using ground-penetrating radar to begin the process of documenting cemeteries of the enslaved people who lived and died there.
Read more about the project in The New York Times, The Tennesean, official press release from the Andrew Jackson Foundation, and Vanderbilt Research News.