Archaeological Investigations at the Orchard House

The Orchard House, in Concord, Massachusetts, was built by the Hoar Family in the late 17th to early 18th-century, while also maintaining an additional tenant house to the rear. The property was purchased in 1857 by A. Bronson Alcott, a leader of the Transcendentalist movement, and served as the setting for Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women. The house is listed on both the National and State Registers of Historic Places because of its connection with the Transcendentalist movement and its value as an example of Colonial architecture. With no prior surveys conducted in the project area, a Phase I site survey of the property surrounding The Orchard House, approximately 50 square meters, provided significant information about the site's land use history. The property retained excellent evidence of historic landscapin, conducted by A. Bronson Alcott in the mid 19th century. Based on documentary research and subswface testing, archaeologists were able to link the intellectual history of a family like the Alcotts with the landscapes they created. A total of 90 test units, each 5O cm2 in size along a 5 meter staggered grid interval, revealed various historic archaeological landscape features dating to the Alcott occupation, which will aid in the planning of developmental projects associated with an interpretive program. Based on the results of the Phase I survey, additional investigations are warranted in specific areas if future plans involved subsurface disturbance.

位于马萨诸塞州康科德的果园屋（The Orchard House）由霍尔家族建于17世纪末至18世纪初，同时在屋后保留了一处附属佃农屋。该地产于1857年被超验主义运动（Transcendentalist movement）领袖A·布朗森·奥尔科特购得，并成为路易莎·梅·奥尔科特小说《小妇人》的故事背景地。该宅邸因其与超验主义运动的关联，以及作为殖民时期建筑典范的价值，同时列入国家史迹名录（National Register of Historic Places）与州史迹名录。本项目区域此前未开展过任何勘测，此次对果园屋周边约50平方米的地产开展了第一阶段（Phase I）场地勘测，获取了该场地土地使用历史的重要信息。该地产保留了19世纪中期布朗森·奥尔科特所打造的历史景观营造的优质遗存证据。通过文献研究与地下探测（subsurface testing），考古学家得以将奥尔科特家族这类家庭的思想史与其亲手打造的景观相联系。本次共布设90个测试单元，每个单元面积为50平方厘米（cm²），沿5米交错网格间隔排布，探测出多个可追溯至奥尔科特家族居住时期的历史考古景观特征，这些发现将助力配套阐释项目的开发规划工作。根据第一阶段（Phase I）勘测结果，若未来规划涉及地下扰动作业，则需在特定区域开展补充调查。