18th-century glass bottles filled with cherries discovered at George Washington’s Mount Vernon residence

Archaeologists have found two 250-year-old glass bottles stuffed with cherries at Mount Vernon—the historic landmark and first US president George Washington’s former plantation residence in Alexandria, Virginia (simply south of Washington, DC).

The bottles had been discovered underneath a brick flooring from the 1770s throughout an ongoing, $40m renovation of the mansion. Manufactured in Europe and product of dark-green glass in shapes standard within the 1740s and 50s, they had been standing upright and sealed—maybe forgotten in a below-ground cupboard space when the ground was constructed over them. The bottles had been opened at Mount Vernon’s archaeology lab with a purpose to “assist stabilise the glass”, in accordance with a press launch, and the cherries, suspended in liquid inside and full with stems and pits, “nonetheless bore the attribute scent of cherry blossoms”.

In an announcement, Mount Vernon’s principal archaeologist, Jason Boroughs, referred to as this a “vital archaeological discover. Not solely did we get better intact, sealed bottles, however they contained natural materials that may present us with worthwhile perception and perspective into 18th-century lives at Mount Vernon. These bottles have the potential to counterpoint the historic narrative, and we’re excited to have the contents analysed so we will share this discovery with fellow researchers and the visiting public.”

Initially, archaeologists thought the bottles would possibly include Cherry Bounce, a colonial-era drink made with brandy, cherries, sugar and spices that the Washingtons loved, in accordance with The Washington Submit’s Michael E. Ruane. However researchers later determined these had been probably simply cherries saved in bottles for later use—the liquid may have been floor water that seeped in after the corks broke down.

“There are 18th-century accounts that speak about correct methods of preserving vegetables and fruit,” Boroughs informed the Submit. “One of the crucial frequent, particularly for berries, is to dry them as a lot as attainable … put them in a dry bottle, cork it … after which bury them.” He added that the cherries had been probably harvested, bottled and saved (for consumption in the principle home) by at the very least one of many tons of of enslaved individuals who toiled on the plantation.

The bottles shall be conserved beginning subsequent month, and their contents shipped to a lab for evaluation. They may go on show at Mount Vernon thereafter, as excavation continues—with a possible for extra such bottles of fruit to be discovered. The renovation challenge is scheduled for completion in 2026, the 250th anniversary of the creation of the USA.