First Thanksgiving Place Of Pilgrims Discovered In Plymouth Settlement

In September 1620, many people were seeking for religious freedom that was set sail from England on the Mayflower. When the ship landed in November on the shores of Cape Cod, also known as the Massachusetts today, a scouting group was sent out. Until, in late December, the group landed in Plymouth Harbor where it is the place of first permanent settlement of Europeans in New England. The original settlers of Plymouth Colony are known as the Pilgrim Fathers or the Pilgrims.

Today, Archeologist found a conclusive evidence of the location of the original ancient Plymouth settlement where they lived for about 400 years.

In Reading Eagle news, it is reported that the group of researchers headed by the University of Massachusetts excavated a trove of 17th century artifacts, which include of pottery, tins, trade beads and musket balls at Burial Hill in Massachusetts -- a historic cemetery that is popularly known to be the burial site of several Pilgrims.

Also, researcher discovered and recovered a remain of calf skeleton, which was named Constance by the students, buried whole at the site.

CNN reported that the project is a collaboration of the University's Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research, the Plimoth Plantation and the Institute for New England Native American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

According to Kathryn Ness, curator at the Plimoth Plantation, "We actually have physical evidence. We have the items that they brought over from Europe that they used, that they touched. The calf they buried and the structures they built."

Furthermore, David Landon, associate director of the Fiske Center, said that, "While digging, we're constantly in the process of trying to interpret what we're finding." In addition, "It really goes to just moving slowly and trying to see if there are any patterns in the flow that we can map out. As soon as that starts, it becomes a slow process. It's about much more than the artifacts -- it's about trying to pin down soil color and trying to understand constructed features that are no longer there."

The team could not find the building foundation mainly because the structures from the original settlement were not made by bricks. Instead, they used "post and ground construction" -- a system of vertical wooded posts planted directly into the ground where they had to find holes for wood and dirt.

The team will continue to excavate and further carry on the research by next summer.