The Princeton Battlefield Society (PBS), with a grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program (ABPP) and guidance from archeologist Wade Catts and historian Bob Selig, is preparing to launch an extensive investigation of property that may contain a mass grave, located on the north side of Mercer Road behind the iconic colonnade.

According to the PBS, an earlier ABPP grant, for which Mr. Catts and Mr. Selig were also consultants, led to the discovery of considerable new information and the realization that the D’Ambrisi property, which is not located in the Battlefield Historic District, actually played a significant role in the Battle of Princeton.

The PBS, along with Green Acres, the Municipality of Princeton, Friends of Princeton Open Space, and the Civil War Trust, arranged to purchase property from the D’Ambrisi family almost two years ago, and is currently in the process of purchasing additional property nearby. The current ABPP grant, according to PBS vice president Kip Cherry, calls for “a robust archeological investigation, detailed historical research using original documents and careful interpretation, GIS mapping, laboratory work on artifacts that may be found,” and preparation of a final report that may lead to applications for annexing the site to national and local historic districts.

The PBS, researchers, and more than 40 local archeology volunteers are awaiting a special use permit from the state before proceeding. Ms. Cherry said that the date for archeology day, a day of intensive work by volunteers under the supervision of experts, will be announced soon and will probably take place later this month.

Mr. Catts suggested that two “anomalies” that have been discovered underground by ground penetrating radar “bear the signature of something that could be a large burial trench.”

Mr. Selig added, “There should be any number of left-over artifacts from the battle, which makes it so interesting for archeologists and historians. The possibility of bodies or skeletons is just one aspect.” He mentioned his interest in exploring what happened after the battle, particularly among the pacifist local civilian Quaker population, which was left with the task of cleaning up in the aftermath of the battle.

“This exploration won’t lead to a re-writing of the history of the Battle of Princeton,” he said,” but it will provide more pieces of the puzzle.”

Noting that the battle itself was only a brief moment in time on a landscape with an extensive history, Mr. Catts stated that the site could also yield Native American artifacts and may have been an ancient campsite near the stream coming into Stony Brook. As project manager he will ensure that everything found is point plotted and that the site is carefully mapped.

Citing an opportunity for any local residents in possession of relevant artifacts or documents, Mr. Catts and Ms. Cherry urged that they come forward so that those objects can be photographed and recorded (not taken for possession).

Mr. Catts, project manager for this enterprise, is a registered professional archeologist with degrees in anthropology and history and nearly 30 years experience in archeological investigations. He is a senior historical archeologist at the Commonwealth Heritage Group.

With extensive experience in historical interpretation and mapping, Mr. Selig was the project historian to the National Park Service for the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary route.