CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Another piece to the Daughters of Zion Cemetery was unveiled to honor the hundreds of unknown people who are buried there.
The cemetery is more than a century old and was left in complete disarray, but preservers hope this new memorial to the unknown will help people understand how big of an impact the cemetery had in Charlottesville.
The monument could represent the at least 200, maybe 300 or more people who are unknown.
"We're very proud of the work that's been done here," said Edwina St. Rose, a preserver of the Daughters of Zion Cemetery. "We've had a lot of people chip in and help us."
St. Rose and her team of preservers have been working to restore a nearly forgotten part of Charlottesville history.
"It's the final resting place for African Americans who grew up in slavery and Reconstruction," said St. Rose.
The archaeological work to tell the full story underneath the cemetery continues.
"We've done a second round of ground penetrating radar," said Steve Thompson, an archaeologist. "Not as a big as the first, but it focused on the narrow strip on the western edge of the cemetery."
Thompson and his team at Rivanna Archaeological Services said it is hard to tell just how many people are buried here, but it is still significant.
"Just the sheer number of graves as closely spaced as they are in areas where there's really nothing at all apparent on the surface," said Thompson.
He said his work could help the cemetery get more funding from the state.
"There's now a better incentive to come up with a better number, a better count of people who might be buried here because the cemetery becomes eligible to receive funds from the state," said Thompson.
St. Rose said this new memorial is not just about remembering those who rest at the cemetery.
"It's really a monument to the contributions to the African American Community," said St. Rose.
