WATCH — ‘Beyond Extraordinary’: Two 18th Century Bottles Unearthed at George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Archeologists at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia have found two historical treasures that have been hidden from view since the 18th century.

In a news release on April 22, Mt. Vernon officials announced archeologists found a pair of European-manufactured bottles in the home’s cellar.

“The dark green glass bottles were found upright and sealed, each containing liquid. The bottle shapes are characteristic of styles from the 1740s – 1750s and were recovered from a pit where they may have been forgotten and eventually buried beneath a brick floor laid in the 1770s,” the announcement reads, noting the discovery came amid the privately funded $40 million Mansion Revitalization Project.

An image shows what appear to be the bottles sitting in the dirt:

In the dirt basement of George Washington’s plantation home, two England-imported bottles containing liquid and some surviving cherries, which were likely picked at Mount Vernon and buried between 1758 and 1776, were uncovered.https://t.co/k4KhucP05i pic.twitter.com/f89C2oNynj

— Archaeology Magazine (@archaeologymag) April 24, 2024

The bottles and their contents will be sent for scientific analysis and testing at a laboratory.

Once the bottles were carefully removed from their resting place, archeologists discovered that cherries were preserved inside the liquid contents of the bottles, “which still bore the characteristic scent of cherry blossoms familiar to residents of the region during the spring season,” the announcement said.

Mount Vernon Principal Archeologist Jason Boroughs told NBC 4 the bottles “were probably intended for the Washingtons’ table.”

“So finding intact 18th century food remains is beyond extraordinary,” he continued:

Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn also expressed his excitement over the historic find, adding, “This discovery comes at the beginning of an exciting and transformational project to strengthen and restore the home of the nation’s first president so that it will be stronger than ever when we celebrate America’s 250^th birthday in 2026.”

“This historic preservation project is our birthday gift to America,” he added.

George Washington was the first president of the United States, and was unanimously elected twice, according to the Mount Vernon website.

He “helped shape the office’s future role and powers, as well as set both formal and informal precedents for future presidents,” the site reads.