A stash of two bottles filled with cherries were uncovered by archaeologists working at George Washington’s historic Virginia home, they revealed Monday.
The two perfectly intact European-manufactured bottles were uncovered in the cellar of Washington’s Mount Vernon home, according to a statement from the Mount Vernon estate. The bottles are made of dark green glass and were upright, sealed and containing liquid when archaeologists found them under a brick floor laid in the 1770s, since before the war for America’s independence.
The discovery was made as part of a privately-funded $40 million restoration project, the estate said. (RELATED: 13,000-Year-Old Artwork Hints At The Real Settlers Of The Americas)
“We have made a number of useful discoveries including this blockbuster find of two fully intact glass bottles containing liquid that have not been seen since before the war for American independence,” Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn said in the statement.
Image provided by Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
Image provided by Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
Image provided by Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
The bottles were sent to the Mount Vernon archaeology lab where researchers decided to remove the liquid. (RELATED: Oldest Footprints In North America Officially Dated, And Big Archaeology Ain’t Gonna Like It)
“Cherries, including stems and pits, were preserved within the liquid contents, which still bore the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms familiar to residents of the region during the spring season,” the statement continued, rather poetically.
Image provided by Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
Image provided by Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association
The expansive estate is currently undergoing other renovations, including the installation of a new heating and air conditioning system and updates to the masonry. With more than a dozen historic outbuildings, four separate gardens, and the tomb of the Washington family, there could be more hiding within the grounds just waiting to be uncovered.