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Graves found at lost Zion Cemetery in Tampa

One grave shaft was visible in about 3 feet of exposed soil.

TAMPA, Fla. — Investigators confirmed the presence of several graves from the forgotten Zion Cemetery in Tampa.

It was an African American cemetery that archaeologists and historians said was systematically erased through the decades. In the past year, around 300 probable graves have been identified.

10 Tampa Bay has reportedly extensively on forgotten graves in the area -- an issue that was first brought to light by the Tampa Bay Times.

Eric Prendergast, the principal investigator of the Zion Archaeological Project, on Monday said his team found grave shafts based upon what was seen on ground-penetrating radar.

One was visible in the exposed soil about 3-feet deep.

"There’s still a lot more to expose and we are not confident that, that grave shaft hasn’t been disturbed in the past," Prendergast said.

The team plans on continuing its investigation Tuesday to confirm additional grave shafts, followed by a hand excavation.

RELATED: State funding could memorialize erased cemeteries, but some will need more

RELATED: More graves from erased Zion Cemetery detected under towing company lot

Zion Cemetery, the city's first burial ground founded in 1901 for African Americans, is situated on land now owned by the Tampa Housing Authority, Sunstate Wrecker Service and property belonging to businessman Richard Gonzmart along N. Florida Avenue.

The Tampa Housing Authority's chief operating officer, Leroy Moore, in an earlier interview said racism is to blame for its erasure.

"We’ve been able to ascertain, really, from tremendous research and investigative reporting that discovered Zion Cemetery [that] individuals way as far back as 1915 who acquired the cemetery and started making plans for redeveloping the cemetery grounds communicated false information about having removed the graves,” he said.

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