Harvard Yard Archaeological Project

The Harvard Yard Archaeological Project app explores Harvard's history in AR

Far from being a puritanical haven, early Harvard College was a colorful and lively place. The first Harvard students did more than worship and study: they smoked, drank, and broke windows. None of which were allowed, except on rare occasions. By the turn of the 18th century, university goals began to shift as the institution was in the process of leaving behind its Puritan beginnings to embrace Enlightenment ideals of scientific reason and individualism.

In Fall 2016, students in A1130: The Archaeology of Harvard Yard continued excavations, focusing on the location of Harvard’s 17th century campus, which included the Old College—the oldest university building in the country—as well as the Harvard Indian College, other structures, and land.

Archaeological and historical records of early Harvard bring to life the experiences of this institutional community, teaching us not only that is there an un-told story to be unearthed, but also that we may have some things in common with our antecessors. As such, archaeological data recovered from Harvard Yard provide a richer and more nuanced view of the 17th- through 19th-century lives of students and faculty living and working in Harvard Yard.

Our research on early Harvard is conducted within larger frames of reference, including regional historical archaeology, research design, surveying, archival research, stratigraphy, and artifact analysis. Throughout the project, we seek to obtain a broad understanding of the nature of archaeology and the relationship between archaeology and history, and contribute to understanding Harvard life from its earliest days.

On this app, you can view the 2016 excavations conducted at the location of the Old College building and explore student research regarding artifacts that they recovered. What new stories will we tell? What more can we say about Harvard’s first buildings and its earliest students? How do we preserve that history and heritage and continue to bring it to the public?