Scientists Discovered 250-Year-Old Perfectly Preserved Fruit

It is a controversial argument whether George Washington cut down a cherry tree. But it was recently discovered that he, or his staff, did bury preserved fruit – including cherries – at his Mount Vernon home. Archaeologists unearthed 35 glass bottles in George Washington’s cellar. Some of the bottles contained perfectly preserved cherries and berries. That is rather remarkable considering they had been buried for about 250 years. The dig is part of a project to refurbish the old Washington house for upcoming generations.

250-Year-Old Preserved Fruit

It is not uncommon to preserve biodegradable foods for later use. People today use several different methods of canning and other forms of food preservation. But how was it done back then? Much like today, there were several ways of extending a food’s shelf-life. Salting, pickling, and drying were some of the processes used centuries ago. Just as Washington did with his cherries, it was common practice to store the items in the cellar, where it stays a consistent 40 degrees year-round.

Still, it is amazing that after 250 years, the jars of cherries and berries in Washington’s cellar were in such great condition.

The lead archaeologist Jason Boroughs commented on the discovery: “Finding what is essentially fresh fruit, 250 years later, is pretty spectacular. All the stars sort of have to align in the right manner for that to happen.”

Twenty-nine of the 35 jars were intact and contained relatively fresh fruits like cherries, gooseberries, and currants. It is known that Martha and George Washington were big fans of cherries, especially as an addition to their favorite drinks.

The jars were likely buried in clay sometime in 1775 before Washington left his home to command the Continental Army in the American Revolution.

Boroughs first found two bottles as he began his archaeological work at the Washington mansion as part of a $40 million project to restore the old home. He was shocked to find 33 more bottles as the digging continued.

“When we do archaeology, it’s destructive,” Boroughs said. “So, unless we have a reason to disturb those resources, we tend not to. In this case, because of these needed structural repairs to the mansion, the ground was going to be disturbed. So, we looked there first. We didn’t expect to find all this.”

The Ancient Seeds May Become New Trees

Now that the bottles have been unearthed, scientists will test the fruit and seeds for DNA to determine the types of fruits that were preserved. The scientists are hopeful that they will be able to germinate some of the seeds and plant them. After all the time underground, the fruits were waterlogged, so it may prove difficult to grow them. However, if that process is successful, there could very well be an ancient American history artifact brought back to life!

Takeaways:

1. Archaeologists found 250-year-old preserved fruit under George Washington’s house.
2. Food was often preserved by bottling or canning and then burying in a cellar.
3. The seeds might be able to grow into new plants, bringing long-dead varieties back to life.