Millersville Students Uncover Colonial Tavern Site in Archaeological Dig

A team of 36 archaeology students from Millersville University is excavating what may be one of the oldest taverns in Lancaster County.

The excavation on the 1725 Gailbraith Ordinary, located north of Marietta, has been an active archaeological project. This work, led by Millersville University anthropology professor Timothy Trussell, is part of the university's archaeology field school, a nine-credit course that offers students a unique experiential learning opportunity.

The site was rediscovered in a cow pasture using an 1880 photograph for positioning and has remained undisturbed for more than a century. During the excavation, the students uncovered the original foundation beneath two feet of soil and unearthed many artifacts, including ceramics, tobacco pipes, wine bottles, and animal bones, according to a FOX 43 News report.

The most significant find in the tavern's identity was the discovery of oyster shells from the Chesapeake Bay. These shells indicate that the tavern imported seafood for its guests.

Students will continue their fieldwork over the next few weeks, weather permitting, and spend the final third of the semester analyzing artifacts in the lab.

All recovered artifacts will be cleaned, cataloged, and analyzed, with findings expected to be presented to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission next year.

"In this sense, our students are all doing primary research in the field, trying to discover those aspects of history that are not in the history books," said Trussell in a statement shared with FOX 43 News.