Report on the Archaeological Site Examination of the Entrance Drive, Carriage House, Greenhouse, Vegetable Garden, Flower Garden, and Grapery at Gore Place

A landscape restoration plan for the 45-acre Gore Place property in Waltham and Watertown, MA, calls for restoration of grounds, gardens and structures to depict and interpret the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century occupation of Massachusetts governor and United States senator, Christopher Gore, and his wife, Rebecca. The restoration plan includes archaeological investigation to help identify the location and integrity of six historically documented features on the Gore Place grounds. Blocks and transects of shovel test pits at 5, 10 and 20 meter intervals along with 1 x 1 m excavation units and trenching were employed in the archaeological site examination of these areas. Testing in the area of the present entrance drive revealed evidence of significant landscape alteration characterized by a unique process of top soil removal followed by filling first with a layer of stone, then loamy sand and gravel and finally replacement of topsoil, all in an effort to create flat and well-drained yard space. The existing entrance drive is hypothesized to have been constructed during the Gore occupation as was a separate service drive. Work at the site of the 1793 carriage house succeeded in pinpointing the location of the original foundation, a task that contributes to the structure’s relocation. The site of the Gore-period greenhouse was also identified by architectural remains that include fragments of marble tile flooring identical to that in the Gore Mansion. Astone-lined drain, glass bell jar fragments as well as a soapstone brick possibly associated with the greenhouse heating system were also found. Investigations in the vegetable and flower gardens revealed intact soils and late eighteenth- / early nineteenth-century artifacts suggesting Gore-period garden features may be preserved and are potentially archaeologically identifiable. Work in the area of the grapery/fruitwall revealed remains of the large greenhouse that occupied the site from the second quarter of the nineteenth century until ca. 1921. Intact greenhouse soils and foundations suggest that the original fruitwall footing is preserved within the later greenhouse foundation. All of these features are well preserved and exhibit a high level of integrity. Those areas of the property not tested during the survey may be archaeologically sensitive and may requrie testing in advance of future proposed impacts. Recommendations specific to each area include options for grounds restoration and interpretation as well as additional archaeological investigations to proceed in tandem with proposed landscape changes. The report also includes a summary of scholarly research associated with design landscape archaeology with reference to Massachusetts.

马萨诸塞州沃尔瑟姆与沃特敦市境内占地45英亩的戈尔庄园（Gore Place）地块景观修复方案，旨在对场地、花园与建构筑物进行修复，还原并阐释马萨诸塞州前州长、美国参议员克里斯托弗·戈尔（Christopher Gore）及其妻子丽贝卡（Rebecca）在18世纪末至19世纪初的居住风貌与历史场景。本次修复方案包含考古调查环节，用于明确戈尔庄园内6处史载历史遗存的具体位置与保存完整性。针对上述区域的考古勘查工作，采用了间隔5米、10米、20米布设的探铲试掘坑（shovel test pits）区块与样带，辅以1×1平方米发掘单元与探沟。对现有入口车道区域的勘探显示，该区域曾经历大规模景观改造：其独特施工流程为先移除表层土壤，依次填入石块层、壤质砂土与砾石层，最后重新铺设表土，以打造平整且排水性能优良的庭院空间。现有入口车道与另一处后勤专用车道均被推测为戈尔夫妇居住时期所修建。对1793年建造的马车房遗址的勘查，成功确定了其原始地基的精确位置，为该建构筑物的迁复工作提供了关键支撑。戈尔时期温室遗址也通过建筑遗存得到确认，其中包括与戈尔宅邸同款的大理石地砖残片。同时还发现了石砌排水沟、玻璃钟罩残片，以及一件可能与温室供暖系统相关的皂石砖。对蔬菜与花卉园区的勘查发现了原生土壤及18世纪末至19世纪初的人工遗物，表明戈尔时期的园林遗存大概率得以完整保存，具备考古识别潜力。对葡萄温室/果墙区域的勘查发现了19世纪第二个四分之一时期至1921年左右使用的大型温室遗存。原生温室土壤与地基表明，原始果墙的基础被保留在后期温室地基内部。上述所有遗存均保存完好，完整性程度较高。本次调查未覆盖的庄园区域可能具有考古敏感性，在未来开展可能造成环境影响的工程前，需先行开展考古勘探。针对各区域的修复建议包含场地修复与历史阐释方案，以及可与拟开展的景观改造工程同步推进的补充考古调查工作。本报告还总结了与马萨诸塞州景观设计考古相关的学术研究成果。