AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) is in the early stages of pursuing DNA testing of human remains exhumed at Oakwood Cemetery several years ago, according to an internal memo.
The Oakwood Cemetery was established in 1839, and the Oakwood Cemetery Chapel was created in 1914 for funeral and memorial services. In 2015, the City of Austin approved its Cemetery Master Plan, which included funding for restoration and preservation of the chapel. The project was completed in 2018 – but in the process, crews made a startling discovery.
In 2016, crews discovered the chapel had been constructed over gravesites. After soliciting community feedback, the decision was made to exhume the remains that were discovered, which date from the mid to late 1800s. In May, PARD reported that an analysis of the remains is complete.
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Since May, PARD entered into discussions with Dr. Deborah Bolnick, an associate professor at the University of Connecticut, about how anthropological genetics might be applied to the Oakwood Cemetery archaeological investigation. While the potential partnership is in its early stages, PARD says it is interested to learn if Dr. Bolnick's research can "shed more light on the lives of the 36 individuals" whose remains were discovered under the chapel.
If the partnership moves forward, the City will incur no costs associated with the research or analysis, according to PARD. You can read more about what DNA testing could reveal about the remains and how the testing would work in the memo below.
To read more about the other next steps in the Oakwood Cemetery archaeological investigation, click here.
PARD said it will continue to update City leadership and cemetery stakeholders as the project progresses.
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