George Washington has been gone for 225 years. But, like with many historical figures and sites, things are still waiting to be discovered.
Last year, we were in the basement of the Mount Vernon mansion for a tour. Little did we know there was a surprise waiting just beneath the bricks we walked on.
This week, Mount Vernon announced archaeologists found two unopened bottles of cherries under that same brick floor! In a field where even small fragments of pipes or jars are exciting, this is an incredibly valuable discovery.
In a press release, Mount Vernon Principal Archaeologist Jason Boroughs shared, “This incredible discovery at Mount Vernon is a significant archaeological find. Not only did we recover intact, sealed bottles, but they contained organic material that can provide us with valuable insight and perspective into 18th-century lives at Mount Vernon. These bottles have the potential to enrich the historic narrative, and we’re excited to have the contents analyzed so we can share this discovery with fellow researchers and the visiting public.”
The bottles will soon be shipped off for conservation, and the contents will be examined in a laboratory to see what kind of stories they can tell us. Maybe one day, they’ll be put on display for visitors to see when they come to Mount Vernon.
Buy a family membership to Mount Vernon for a year. Who knows what future discoveries you’ll be walking over?
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