Mitchelville's Middens

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Middens are garbage dumps and often contain broken dishes, animals bones, bottle glass, and other household refuse.

Middens are distinguished by their dark, organic-rich soils.

Excavations underway in the midden at Mitchelville.

Archaeologists recovered hundreds of artifacts from this garbage dump.

Garbage!

Mitchelville had a town ordinance that required residents to dispose of their garbage at designated places. Archival documents tell us the town dump was located on the eastern edge of the village, but how strictly were rules were enforced? During the 2013 investigations, archaeologists found a large garbage dump full of broken dishes, bottle glass fragments, nails, buttons, bullets, container glass, and many other artifacts. This looked like garbage from more than one household. Perhaps it was a communal dumping area.