For Kids

Quick Facts

Whose house was this? 

John Alden, his wife Priscilla, and their ten children lived at the First Home site.

Who were the Aldens? 

John Alden and Priscilla Mullins were Mayflower passengers. John worked as a cooper, a Treasurer for Plymouth Colony, and even an Assistant to the Governor.

When did they live here? 

The Aldens lived here in the 1600’s.

Why can’t I see a house? 

After John and Priscilla’s family moved into the Second Home their first house eventually fell or was taken down. You can see its stone foundation now in the ground.

What is archaeology? 

Archaeology is a scientific field that uses material culture, or the objects people leave behind, to understand more about how they lived in the past.

What can archaeology tell us about the Aldens? 

Archaeology helps tell the story of daily life at the First Site. Using artifacts, we know what kinds of dishes the Aldens owned, what they were eating and drinking, and how they were cooking and storing food. Artifacts also show the jobs the Aldens performed, such as milking cows and making barrels. Archaeologists used where these artifacts were found in the house to see where in their home the Aldens cooked, stored supplies, and even slept. Future archaeological studies might be able to estimate what the house itself looked like when it stood 400 years ago.