CANTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Archaeologists have descended on the historic David Tilden House in Canton, and have already found hundreds of artifacts.
“What we’ve been doing is excavating with trained archaeologists here, as they get deeper into the soil,” said curator and historian George Comeau. “As we go deeper, we discover more things that are older.”
At the house, built in 1725, archaeologists have already found at least three sets of leather shoes, likely belonging to European settlers. Superstition from the time said that hiding shoes near entries and exits would ward off evil spirits from entering a home.
Here’s how their process works: archaeologists at the site dig into the floor of the house, and fill buckets with their findings. They then pass those buckets through the window and hand them to volunteers and members of the Canton Historical Society waiting outside. That group then sifts through the dirt and put aside anything that may be significant.
Comeau said that the team picked up “a couple hundred different artifacts” the day before.
The items are then bagged up and shipped to an archaeology lab in Rhode Island, where historians will analyze the material, including what may be quartz Native American tools.
This is all part of ongoing work to preserve the home. The Canton Historical Society plans to turn the house into a living history center when the preservation work is complete.
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