The John Hollister Site: A 17th Century Fortified Farm Complex in Glastonbury, Connecticut

The John Hollister Site is an expansive 17th century farm complex in the Connecticut River Valley. The farm, established before 1650, was located on the fringe of English settlement on eastern shore of "Great River" and became the residence of two generations of large families before being abandoned. Nestled quietly beneath a horse pasture, the site was discovered through remote sensing in 2015. Recent archaeological investigations of three of the five large filled cellars documented at the site have identified artifacts and food remains in an unprecedented state of preservation. This session summarizes recent finds with talks focused on remote sensing, documentary data, material culture, foodways, architecture, and the cultural entanglements between English settlers and their Native Wangunk neighbors.