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w M-iiy The f Archaeology of i/A //s Boston BostoninJ6W{oilerClough.): City Archaeology Program Environment Department City of Boston RaymondL. Flynn, Mayor What Archaeology? is YOUDO NOThavetogotoItalyorGreecetodoarchaeol- ogy.Archaeologyinvolvesthestudyofhumanbehaviorby theinvestigationofmaterialevidencefromanytimeperiod. Prehistoriansarearchaeologistswhostudygroupsthatdid notkeeptheirownwrittenrecordsbutleftbehindartifacts (materialsmodifiedbyman)andarchaeologicalsites(loca- tionswhereartifactsarefound). Historicalarchaeologists studymaterialevidenceofrecord-keepingsocieties,includ- ingourown. Archaeologicalsitesmustbecarefullyexcavatedandrecords mustbekepttohelpidentifythelocationofanydiscoveries. Inwhichsoildepositwasanartifactfound? Howoldarethe artifactsfromaparticularlocation? Hasthesitebeendis- turbedbynon-archaeologicaldigging? Doesthearchaeologi- calrecordcontradictorsupportwhatwealreadyknow aboutthesite'soccupants?Thesearesomeofthequestions thatarchaeologistsaskwhentheyexcavatesites. Backatthelaboratory, specialistsandvolunteersalike analyzetheartifactsandfieldnotes.Theyattempttoanswer morespecificquestionssuchas:whatkindofanimalsdid NativeAmericanseat? DidcolonialBostoniansimportmost oftheirhouseholdgoodsfromEngland?Whattypesof plantsdidBostongardenersgrow? Finally,thearchaeologistsphotographandillustratethe artifactsandprepareafinalsitereport Ideally,theartifacts areputonpublicdisplayandfieldandlaboratoryrecords carefullystoredforfuturereference. Boston's City Archaeology Program BOSTON'SCITYARCHAEOLOGYPROGRAMpromotes qualityarchaeologicalworkinBoston,locatesandprotects importantBostonarchaeologicalsitesandeducatesand involvesthepublicinBostonarchaeology. ArchaeologyhasbeenconductedingreaterBostonformore thanacentury. LocalinstitutionssuchasHarvard'sPeabody Museumfoundedin 1866 playedan importantrolein studyingregionalarchaeologicalsites. Muchofthisearly workwascrisis-orientedinvolvingthesalvageofsitesdis- coveredduringthecourseofconstructionasBostonbecame urbanized. Historicperiod sitesrarelyreceivedanyattention. Duringthepasttwentyyearsurbanarchaeologyhas emergedasanimportantsub-disciplineofAmericanar- chaeology.ArchaeologyconductedinBostoncancontribute toourunderstandingofurbanizationitself.Archaeology yieldsnewinformationon pastlanduse,architecture,and thedailyactivitiesofhouseholdsoftenomittedinhistory books. ^ 9 r IffjjfebfiiF^ V iv^yttv/ ^3^B.. EC^^B^m W IBg x \l '•* ^feli YoucanparticipateinarchaeologicalworkinBostonasa publicvolunteer. Formoreinformation, pleasecall 725-3850orwritetoStevePendery, BostonCityArchaeol- ogyProgram, EnvironmentDepartment, Room805, Boston MA CityHall, Boston, 02201. Geology and Prehistory TheBostonHarbortoday BOSTON LIESATTHEHEADofaharborfilledwith islands. Glacierslefttheregionabout 12,000yearsagoleav- ingbelundlowhillscomposedofgravel, sand,andclay. Theharborwasfurthershapedbyarisingsealevelandby threerivers,dieMystic,theCharles,andtheNeponset NativeAmericansoccupiedtheBostonAreasinceatleast 8,000yearsago.Theearliestgroupswereprobablynomadic whiledieintroductionofhorticultureintotheregionabout 900yearsagohelpedtosupportalarger, moresedentary . population . Prehistoricsites A gfft^^\ naveDeenfoundthroughout \ ffi£M$l\\ t^leBoston Harborislands,in m^ i^w^//-NaV Charlestown, Roxbury, ^k gM^jS£^£~£~£~L~~i^p5sr>'\ Dgoarvch£esutrCe)rp,eaannddiBsoesatseosnsBack / ^^ %!q **-' decimated NativeAmencan W ^*^j» groupsintheBostonarea between 1616-1619. I TerminalLateWoodlandperiodpotterysherd(ca.A.D. 1500)found ontheBoston Commonduringanarchaeologkalsurveyconductedby theCityArchaeologyProgramin 1986. The 17th Century BOSTON'S FIRSTEUROPEAN SETTLERwasthe ReverendWilliamBlackstonewhowaslivingonthesouth slopeofBeacon Hillby 1628. In 1630hewas joinedby GovernorJohnWinthropandmembersoftheMas- sachusettsBayCompany. Bostonattractedthousandsof English Puritansandothersduringthefollowingdecade. Thedeepwaterharborwasdevelopedwithwharves, warehousesanddwellingsofmerchantsandartizans. Seventeenthcenturysitesexaminedbyarchaeobgists. ArchaeologicalstudyofthesesitesindowntownBostonand Charlestownhasrevealedtheearlyinvolvementof Massachusetts merchantsinAtlantictradingnetworks. Local artizansrapidlybegantosupplythecolonywithnecessities, andthenamenitiesorurbanlife. Buildingsweredesigned andsomeinletswerefilledtoaccomodatethetown'srapidly expandingpopulation. The 18th Century BOSTON EMERGEDasdiemostimportantseaportof BritishNorthAmericaintheearlyeighteenthcentury. Merchantswereinvolvedintradingwith theWestIndies, Europe,Africa,andthesouthernAmericancolonies. Craftsmenproducedawidevarietyofgoodsforexportand localuse. mm L&D- m CentralArterysites w^sT^v>C\\' Wilkensensite D _5?v> •^'\p^-~' ,,.'r>y^'/ j-^c-Cmr'rJjxs'///-WoO^^r' Hancock Garden &* ?j ' o 77k 7775 maj&ofBostonbyHenryPelliamshowingeighteenthcentury archaeobgiadsites. ThereconstructionoftheCentralArteryhighwayinBoston andCharlestownhasprovidedarchaeologistswitharecent opportunitytostudycolonial sites.Theseincludehouselots ofmerchantsandcraftsmen, , manufacturingandwaterfront sites. Anarchaeologicalsurvey oftheBostonCommon providedinformationon Britishtroopencampments priortotheAmerican Revolution. CharkstoumredwarefromtheCentralArteryproject. The 19th Century \ DorchesterPottery Works. %/:•.j..•.&&'•'$$: '. '.'.. LocationofnineteenthcenturyarchaeobgicalsitesexploredinBoston FEDERALPERIOD BOSTONis usuallyassociatedwiththe architectureandplanningofCharlesBulfinch. However,the city(incorporatedin 1822)washometodifferenturban groupswerarelyreadaboutinhistorybooks.Archaeology cantellusmuchaboutdailylifeofworkingfamiliesand ethnicgroupsinBoston. ^t '*smM^ \ Hand-paintedpearlwaresaucerfromBostonlandfill,ca. 1800. About Boston ic«LSE»JL,U l/ft? ! 'LL ]x£t/ttof9£tr^''f ^^^p^C w,t,RTorw*S\y " b r ' d^=Me ^kJ\^$D8S|KjifcVj8^::'<-n^ ^ ™ \ in ^+mim^^BJ^^~~\ <'?<^lJr-'^8i B^:•' T \ /^^^T\l^r^i^^ 1 \ / '^^^ * "if J ^H ^-v/ /R X B U R y] J9 /x" / /\/ j.o.^J9& //we 5,-^TT^ r x b u r y .// JAN3.1870 ^» // J"15""" y^>V// sS~^>J * \*/ ^^--v^ & y^ 3C <U 1L tc. ><"//'^V JANIHi:^/' \ CITV PL4NNIN0 BOARD D t D h * M \ W^J ) MAPOFBOSTON \- " \jT BOUNDARY LINECHANG^ \ \ -•sc"-c ... B-UNDnil. BOSTON'SSURFACEAREAwasgreatlyincreasedby landfill duringthepasttwocenturies.Also, severalneighbor- ingtownswereannexedbetween 1634and 1912 sothat todaythecityisnearly4timesitsoriginalsizeof783 acres. TheWestCove(1),about80acresandtheMillCove(2) werefilledbetween 1803 and 1835withgraveltakenfrom BeaconHill. FillingoftheSouthCove(3),about86 acres, lastedbetween 1806 and 1843. SouthBoston'slandfillwas initiatedin 1836inarea4(about714acres)andcontinued inMarinePark(5) and ColumbusPark(6). BothCharles- town(7) andEastBoston(8)includingmostofLoganAir- portweregreatlyexpandedbylandfill. Boston'sBackBay (about570acres)wasfilledbetween 1856and 1894 (area9).