13 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Archaeologists unearth the long-lost homestead of King Pompey in Lynn

Archaeologists from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and a historian from Northeastern University believe they might have found the home of a leader in New England’s Black community dating back to the 1700s. King Pompey was an enslaved African who gained his freedom and became one of the first Black property owners in colonial New England.

Pompey Mansfield’s home has been a historical enigma. The find, which is situated near the Saugus River, may offer a unique window into the life of this well-known esteemed community leader.

The archeologists said they spent months before the dig trying to pinpoint where “King” Pompey Mansfield lived more than 260 years ago.

Archaeologists at the University of New Hampshire and Kabria Baumgartner, dean’s associate professor of history and African studies at Northeastern University worked together to locate Pompey’s homestead, where he lived with his wife Phylis (or Phebe) over 260 years ago.

“We are thrilled,” said Meghan Howey, professor of anthropology and director of the University of New Hampshire’s Center for the Humanities. “I’m extremely confident this is a foundation from the 1700s and everything that points to this being the home of King Pompey is very compelling.”



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Kabria Baumgartner and Alyssa Moreau work on the site of what archeologists believe is the home of King Pompey. Photo: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Kabria Baumgartner and Alyssa Moreau work on the site of what archeologists believe is the home of King Pompey. Photo: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Historical accounts show that Pompey hosted free and enslaved Blacks on Black Election Day, one of the most important days in the colonial era for Black people in New England. On this day, Pompey was elected “king” annually. Whoever was elected king could later be called on to handle matters in the Black community.

The event was documented as lively and joyful with dancing and singing based on their West African traditions. It was held on the same day that white men voted for their leaders. The highlight of the day was voting for and crowning a king, who could later be called on to handle important matters in the Black community. Similar celebrations took place throughout New England and the rest of the Americas, including states like New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.

The archaeological team, which included community historian Diane Fiske from UNH’s Great Bay Archaeological Survey and archaeologist Alyssa Moreau, spent months combing through deeds, public records, and genealogical records in order to determine the location. In order to pinpoint the location and identify particular landmarks, they cross-referenced historical newspapers and probate records with modern LIDAR-derived topographic maps.

In a trench that was four feet deep, the team uncovered a foundation that was constructed of river rocks as described in the documentation. They had to dig through layers of several different eras of newer foundations covering the 1700s structure to reveal it. Below the trash, concrete and mortar, the team discovered a layer of smaller, smooth stones from the nearby tidal river that had been chiseled and layered so they fit together. All point to something that someone with limited resources would have done at the time to build a home.

An example of river rocks altered to form a foundation found in the four-foot trench at the dig site of what archaeologists believe is the home of King Pompey. Photo: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University.
An example of river rocks altered to form a foundation found in the four-foot trench at the dig site of what archaeologists believe is the home of King Pompey. Photo: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University.

“The big find was the handmade pebble foundation without quarry rock,” said Meghan Howey, professor of anthropology and director of the University of New Hampshire’s Center for the Humanities “That showed determination and ingenuity. And then the compelling match of the historical descriptions, the bend in the river, marshy meadow, oak trees. While not everything in history is written down, or even written down correctly, when it comes to what people leave behind, they don’t edit their trash.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by those fleeting private and intimate moments outside of the watchful eye of an enslaver when Black people could be themselves and enjoy each other and be in community,” said  Kabria Baumgartner. “It’s rare for me to get a chance to be on the site of a discovery and thanks to Meghan and her team’s archeological work we get a better sense of King Pompey’s world. It was just as described, serene and peaceful.”

Researchers are hopeful to eventually work with the National Park Service to establish a historical marker about King Pompey and do more outreach and exhibits that share the story and the figures of Black Election Day.

University of New Hampshire

Cover Photo: Left to right, Kabria Baumgartner, Northeastern University historian, and Meghan Howey, University of New Hampshire archaeologist, at the dig site of what archaeologists believe is the home of King Pompey. Photo: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University.

Related Articles

The inner wall was reached during the excavations of the tomb of the poet Aratos in the Soli Pompeiopolis Ancient City

13 August 2021

13 August 2021

The inner wall was reached during the excavations of the tomb of Aratos, the famous poet and astronomer of the...

A unique find in the Middle Don: Scythian gods on a silver plate

19 November 2021

19 November 2021

Archaeologists of the Archaeological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, during their excavations at the Devitsa V cemetery in...

Scientists Uncover 22,000-Year-Old Evidence of Prehistoric Transport

9 March 2025

9 March 2025

In a remarkable glimpse into the ingenuity of our early ancestors, recent research reveals that 22,000 years ago, humans may...

New Research Uncovers Earliest Evidence of Humans in Rainforests, Pushing Timeline Back 150,000 Years

3 March 2025

3 March 2025

The rainforests, as important biomes on earth, were considered uninhabited until recent history. New findings now show that humans lived...

Viking Ship Burials Shrouded in Mystery on Danish Island

25 May 2021

25 May 2021

Archaeologists studying the origins and makeup of the Kalvestene burial field, a famed place in Scandinavian legend, have undertaken new...

Europe’s Oldest Plough Marks Discovered in Switzerland and Testifying the Use of Animals in Agriculture 7000 Years Ago

8 March 2024

8 March 2024

Excavations at the Anciens Arsenaux site in Sion, Switzerland, researchers revealed evidence that Neolithic farmers used animal traction to pull...

Ancient Footprints Offer Evidence Humans Wore Shoes 148,000 Years Ago

12 September 2023

12 September 2023

A new analysis of ancient footprints in South Africa suggests that the humans who made these tracks might have been...

In Ryazan, the first birch bark letters were discovered

13 September 2021

13 September 2021

The first birch bark letters were found at the Vvedensky excavation site in the Kremlin in Pereyaslavl Ryazan (modern Ryazan)....

A submerged stone bridge constructed 5600 years ago shed light on the human colonization of the western Mediterranean

31 August 2024

31 August 2024

An interdisciplinary research team, led by University of South Florida (USF) geology Professor Bogdan Onac, has examined an ancient submerged...

The ancient city of Kastabala will soon have a colonnaded Street

4 September 2021

4 September 2021

The archaeological excavation of the ancient city of Kastabala in Osmaniye Province in southern Turkey continues. Kastabala-Hierapolis is one of...

Mystical Tombs and Lights: 150 Unique Burial Mounds Discovered in Kazakhstan

28 August 2025

28 August 2025

Archaeologists in the West Kazakhstan Region (WKO) have announced a remarkable discovery that could reshape our understanding of early civilizations...

An unexpected shipwreck was unearthed at the Tallinn construction site

18 April 2022

18 April 2022

During the construction of the office building on Lootsi Street in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital on the Baltic Sea, a shipwreck...

Human Relief Found at Million Stone Excavation Site in İstanbul

18 July 2021

18 July 2021

The Milion Stone (also known as the Million Stone) from the Eastern Roman period is one of important the historical...

Where We Saw Sin, There Was Care: A Baby Buried in a Medieval Belgian Brothel

23 May 2025

23 May 2025

A medieval brothel in Belgium yields a discovery that forces historians to confront forgotten tenderness in places long seen only...

A New Late Ancient Necropolis Discovered on Hvar Island

10 June 2021

10 June 2021

The protective investigation in the garden of the Radoevi Palace in the town of Hvar on the Croatian island of...