29 bottles containing cherries from over 200 years ago discovered in the USA

19 Jun 2024
1940

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."

Source: CNN US
Images: CNN US


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

South Africa: good omens for the new season despite the cold weather

Production

26 Nov 2024

Despite the frost heavily affecting the early cherry varieties, cherry growers remain optimistic about the overall quality of this season's harvest and the promising opportunities available in both local and international markets.

PMGC the new Chilean cherry breeding project

Varieties

19 May 2023

For Macfrut 2023 it was an honour to host Prof. Marlene Ayala of the Catholic University of Chile, the head of the main genetic improvement project for cherries started in 2010 in Chile..

In evidenza

Assisted pollination boosts ‘Regina’ cherry yield and quality

Tech management

16 Oct 2025

A study in Chile shows that assisted pollination using electrostatic technology increases fruit set in ‘Regina’ cherries grown under plastic covers, improving fruit quality and yield even when natural pollination conditions are not optimal.

Ganaspis kimorum released in Catalonia to fight Drosophila suzukii

Crop protection

16 Oct 2025

Catalonia starts the release of Ganaspis kimorum, a parasitoid used for the biological control of Drosophila suzukii. The goal is to reduce pesticide use in cherry, strawberry and berry crops, supporting a more sustainable and environmentally friendly fruit production system.

Tag Popolari