African-American grave site found

PORTSMOUTH – (AP) – DNA testing has confirmed that bodies uncovered at a grave site are African-American and confirmed a genetic trait that will make it easier to identify Africans, a researcher said.

Last fall, crews digging a new sewer line found 13 coffins with human remains.

Samples from four coffins were sent to the Boston University School of Medicine, where Dr. Bruce Jackson works on the DNA African-American Roots Project, trying to link African-Americans to their ancestral heritage.

The tests backed up historical research that found the site on city maps dating to 1705 identified as a “Negro Burying Ground.”