Archaeologists make stunning discovery inside 18th-century bottles at Washington's home

The glass bottles were placed underground for refrigeration, archaeologists says (Image: FOX 5 DC)

Archaeologists have recently discovered two centuries-old glass bottles filled with cherries at the first United States President's home in Virginia last month.  

A team of archaeologists made the discovery as they were excavating in the cellar of George Washington's Mount Veron estate as part of a major revitalization project, according to FOX 5 DC. 

Archaeologist Nick Beard found two green glass bottles in a pit of a cellar, in what has been described by historians as an "extraordinary find."

"For whatever reason, these were left behind and they were in pristine condition, and that’s why this is such an extraordinary find because you just don’t find 18th-century food remains, intact, outside of things like animal bones, which are pretty durable," said Principal Archeologist at Mount Vernon Jason Boroughs told the outlet. 

The bottles, fully intact and manufactured by Europeans, date back to the 1740s to 1750s in the American Colonial Era, according to a statement by Mount Vernon. It was found buried beneath a brick floor in the 1770s.

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The bottles were discovered at George Washington's Mount Vernon home in Virginia (Image: Getty)

What made the discovery more astonishing was that the bottles contained a liquid that had been preserved for three centuries. 

"Just the fact that there was liquid at all. That, right there, sets off alarm bells," Beard told FOX 5. "If there’s water, or liquid, pooling in there like that means it’s very intact, it’s in very good shape."

Researchers believe the roughly three-centuries-old bottles were filled with cherries, including stems and pits, which bore the scent of cherry blossoms. 

The liquid and cherries were poured out of the bottles, and transferred in smaller containers to an archaeology lab for analysis. 

“Not only did we recover intact, sealed bottles, but they contained organic material that can provide us with valuable insight and perspective into 18th-century lives at Mount Vernon,” Mount principal archaeologist, Jason Boroughs told The Washington Post. 

“These bottles have the potential to enrich the historic narrative, and we’re excited to have the contents analyzed so we can share this discovery with fellow researchers and the visiting public.”

Research suggests that the fruits were placed in sealed bottles underground as a refrigeration storage. 

Scientists also speculate that the fruit could have been picked by enslaved labourers sometime between 1758 and 1776 at Washington's former residence and plantation.