Sampling of Seeds and Fruit Pits

Archaeological Objects

c. 1800s

Abiel Smith School Digital Catalog

ABS.0192.028, ABS.0192.029, ABS.0192.030, ABS.0192.032, ABS.0192.033, ABS.0192.034, ABS.0192.035, ABS.0192.037

Northeast Museum Services Center

Row of six vials of varying heights containing seeds and pits of fruit.
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Archaeologists recovered seeds of 35 different types of plants, demonstrating a diverse collection of fruits, nuts, and other vegetation. Some of the most commonly recovered plants include raspberries, apples, mustard, tomatoes, and walnuts. This suggests a well balanced and nutritious diet of a variety of fruits, vegetables, spices, and nuts.*

*Information from “Abiel Smith School Digital Catalog” Northeast Museum Services Center, NPS (2019).

Questions to Consider

  1. What do these seed samples tell us about the eating habits of the community at Smith Court?
  2. What questions do we still have?

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Smith Court Stories

Smith Court Stories is a collaborative project of the Museum of African American History and Boston African American National Historic Site – a unit of the National Parks of Boston.

The creators of Smith Court Stories acknowledge that Smith Court in Beacon Hill sits on the historical Massachusett tribe territories.