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Archaeologists Discover Trove of Artifacts at Site of 19th-Century Alabama Tavern

Archaeologists in northwest Alabama have unearthed pottery, glass and nails at the site of an inn and tavern that played a pivotal role in the Civil War. Some of the artifacts predate construction of Pope’s Tavern in the 1830s; others are even older, predating Alabama’s admission as the nation’s 22nd state in 1819, reports Connor Todd for Alabama Public Radio (APR).

The former tavern now serves as a local history museum. Jimmy Wayne via Flickr under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The former tavern now serves as a local history museum. Jimmy Wayne via Flickr under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

The team, from the University of Alabama’s Office of Archaeological Research, conducted the excavation on the grounds of what’s now Pope’s Tavern Museum, a local history museum in the city of Florence.

“They pulled out a bunch of artifacts that are being cleaned and processed right now,” museum curator Brian Murphy tells the Times Daily’s Bernie Delinski. “They will give us a really good image of the types of materials and type of utensils used, and really a glimpse into the daily life of the people who lived there and used that space.”

As the museum notes on Facebook, the work was funded by a Historic Sites Grant from the Alabama Historical Commission. Among the artifacts found during the dig were a glazed ceramic vessel and window glass.

To read this full article, visit the Smithsonian Magazine’s website.