Garden Archeology

The archaeological excavation in the Upper Garden illustrates how landscapes like George Washington's at Mount Vernon are fluid and constantly evolving.  We were able to identify seven distinct phases of gardens within the boundaries of the Upper Garden.  Each of these is equally the Upper Garden, and each is authentic in its own way.  The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association depicts the plantation as it was in 1799, so we have decided to restore the layout and appearance of the space based upon the garden we believe was present during that year.  The fact that we can see where young trees were nurtured in the 1760s and vegetable beds from the 1770s is phenomenal -- and I wish there were some way to make these gardens present too.

As a historical archaeologist I think Mount Vernon's use of science and technology helps us have a much better understanding of authenticity.  Techniques such as dendrochronology (tree ring dating) pollen and phytolith studies and GIS (computerized mapping) have been incredibly successful methods to help us tease apart myth from reality.  I also think our ability to critically evaluate our text and photographic evidence has become more astute which has helped us better understand the changes which have occurred at the historic site.