Archaeological Investigation of the Northeast Lawn of the Golden Ball Tavern, Weston, Massachusetts

Summary

In 2003 archaeologists from the University of Massachusetts Boston conducted limited

test excavations in the northeast lawn of the Golden Ball Tavern, Weston, MA. The fieldwork

consisted of five 1 x 2 m units adjacent to the structure and three transects of cores to

the north and east across a segment of the lawn. The primary goal of the testing was to

determine if the archaeological deposits in this area showed evidence for the late 18th-century

entranceway to the Tavern. Several features uncovered in the excavations relate to

episodes of rebuilding the house chimney, landscaping the northeast lawn, including the

planting of bushes along the side of the structure, and running an electric line to an exterior

light pole. No features related to an early pathway or entranceway were evident. The more

than 9,000 artifacts recovered are a mix of 18th, 19th, and 20th-century materials. In most

of the units, 20th-century artifacts are mixed in throughout the deposits, including the bottommost

cultural strata. However, at the north and south edges of the excavation area a thin

buried strata appears to show late 18th-century deposition, and in the north edge this contains

a small concentration of pipe stem fragments potentially related to the tavern period.

The stratigraphy in the cores suggests landscaping fill was used to level the lawn, and in

one area this might have buried an earlier path into the property, but not a path leading to

the tavern. Overall, these results suggest the area has limited additional archaeological potential.

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Notes

Redaction Note: Images and text relating to previously identified prehistoric sites in the 2km area surrounding the Golden Ball Tavern have been redacted from this document.

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