The story of a six-year-old George Washington chopping down a cherry tree may be a legend, but archaeologists excavating at Mount Vernon, the home of the first president of the United States, made a very real discovery of 35 glass bottles filled with cherries and berries.
The bottles were found in five storage pits in the mansion's cellar, 29 of which were intact and contained "perfectly preserved cherries and berries, likely gooseberries or currants," according to a Thursday statement from Mount Vernon of George Washington.
Teams unearthed the 18th-century bottles during a $40 million revitalization project launched last year at Mount Vernon, Virginia. The bottles were retrieved from pits, refrigerated, and are slated for scientific analysis, the statement said.
The bottles, slowly drying, are "composed of materials and foods likely dating back to 250 years ago," and will be sent from Mount Vernon's archaeological lab to an external conservation center, according to the statement. The latest find follows the recent discovery of two intact glass bottles of European manufacture from the 18th century, filled with liquid, cherries, and pits in the same cellar, the organization said.
"Now we know those bottles were just the beginning of this remarkable discovery," said Doug Bradburn, President and CEO of Mount Vernon, in a statement.
Bradburn described the finds as "an unprecedented discovery," adding that "nothing of this scope and significance has ever been unearthed in North America." "The bottles and their contents testify to the knowledge and skill of enslaved individuals who managed food preparation from tree to table," said Jason Boroughs, Mount Vernon's chief archaeologist.
According to Bradburn, the bottles may have been forgotten when Washington left Mount Vernon to take command of the Continental Army. "It's likely these artifacts haven't seen the light since before the American Revolution," he said. "It's so fitting that these bottles have been brought to light just before the 250th anniversary of the United States."
16 Nov 2023
Brux stated that Chile could reach 140 million crates by 2025/26. China, Chile's main market, absorbs 89% of the total harvest. US exports are also growing, with volumes rising from 1.4 (2020/21) to 3.6 million in 2022/23.
20 Jun 2023
The use of dwarfing rootstocks enables an increase in planting density that can reach almost 7,000 trees per hectare. The presence of smaller-sized trees makes it possible to facilitate and accelerate all cultivation operations, particularly harvesting, thereby reducing costs.
11 Dec 2025
Aragonese cherries are set to enter the Chinese market thanks to Orchard Fruit, a family business led by Menchu Guerrero. Since 2017, the company has followed a scientific and export-driven strategy, inspired by Chile’s model, to bring premium fruit to global markets.
11 Dec 2025
An innovative study compares qPCR and dPCR to analyze genes linked to fruit cracking in cherries. Eight molecular markers were identified to support genetic improvement, early diagnosis and field strategies against cracking, a key challenge in cherry farming.
