Archaeologists at George Washington’s Mount Vernon find 35 bottles full of preserved fruits

Archaeologists working at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate have found 35 bottles full of preserved fruits dating back more than 250 years.

The bottles were discovered in a group of five storage pits in the mansion’s cellar. Mount Vernon officials said Thursday that 29 bottles were still intact, some containing cherries and others containing berries. Officials said the berries are likely currants or gooseberries.

The fruits found inside each bottle have been extracted and are being refrigerated on-site in advance of scientific analysis. The bottles, on the other hand, are still drying out and will be sent away from Mount Vernon for conservation.

The bottles are more than 250 years old, before the Revolutionary War.

“These perfectly preserved fruits picked and prepared more than 250 years ago provide an incredibly rare opportunity to contribute to our knowledge of the 18th-century environment, plantation foodways, and the origins of American cuisine,” Mount Vernon Principal Archaeologist Jason Boroughs said in a statement.

Last month, researchers found two European-made glass bottles dating to the 18th century, containing an unspecified liquid, cherries and pits.

“To our knowledge, this is an unprecedented find and nothing of this scale and significance has ever been excavated in North America. … we are crossing our fingers that the cherry pits discovered will be viable for future germination. It’s so appropriate that these bottles have been unearthed shortly before the 250th anniversary of the United States,” Mount Vernon CEO Doug Bradburn said.