Now on View: Trash Tells the Truth in New Archaeology Display

What can the things people throw away tell us about their lives?

In 2014, three years before opening, the Museum of the American Revolution conducted one of the largest archaeological digs in Philadelphia’s history. The dig at the site of the future museum uncovered thousands of artifacts that illuminate the stories of this neighborhood’s past residents.

Archaeologists labeled one section of the excavation, the site of a privy (outhouse), as “Feature 16.” The volume of artifacts found in that privy prompted an investigation of archival records by the archaeologists. Their research revealed that the privy was connected to an unlicensed, illegal tavern run by Quakers Benjamin and Mary Humphreys. The Humphreys family lived at the site beginning in the summer of 1776 and employed a formerly enslaved woman of African descent named Quansheba Morgan, whom Benjamin Humphreys freed earlier that year.

The Humphreys' privy was more than just a toilet; with no modern trash service in the city, the family and their patrons often used the privy as a receptacle for household waste and broken ceramics, glassware, and other discarded items. The artifacts found in “Feature 16,” provide a glimpse into the social dynamics and political choices of the Humphreys family and the employees and patrons of their tavern.

On view for the next year, the artifacts displayed in the second-floor atrium case, thanks to the Color Guard of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution, all came from the Humphreys privy. Once considered trash, they reveal the truth about life in a Revolutionary city.

Ceramics from the Humphreys' Privy

Archaeologists found nearly 375 ceramic vessels in the Humphreys' privy which prompted an investigation. Why were there so many? The variety and high volume of artifacts suggested that this was more than simply a domestic privy. Archival research revealed the truth about the family’s tavern ownership. The recovered ceramics also provide evidence that the family benefited from Philadelphia’s local and global trade networks. Of the ceramic vessels found in the privy, 32 percent were locally made and 64 percent were imported from Europe, England, and China. Among the imported wares, notable examples include Chinese porcelain and English creamware, which suggest that the Humphreys could afford higher quality goods. Locally made utilitarian wares found in the privy, vessels that could be easily replaced when broken, speak to the nature of tavern keeping.

A Treasure of American Ceramics

This plain white punchbowl is anything but ordinary. Scientific analysis following the excavation revealed that it is the earliest known example of American-made hard-paste porcelain. European and American consumers desired this fashionable, translucent, and difficult-to-produce ceramic in the 1700s. Found at the bottom of the Humphreys' privy, this bowl is thought to be an experimental product made by the American China Manufactory in Philadelphia in 1772 using clay from South Carolina. Gousse Bonnin and George Anthony Morris, the owners of the American China Manufactory (established in 1770), hoped to sell their porcelain as an alternative to imported porcelain wares from China and Europe. The company struggled to compete with cheaper imports and closed in 1773.

Tavern Food

Mary Humphreys and Quansheba Morgan served beer, cider, wine, and liquor to their patrons along with typical tavern food of the period. Archaeologists identified 8,225 bones and bone fragments in the privy. The remains included 31 species of animals such as pigs, sheep, cattle, birds, and deer. Because the tavern was located just a few blocks from the Delaware River, fresh fish and shellfish were readily available allowing the tavern to provide a variety of meals to its patrons.

Glass and Pipe Fragments

These glass fragments are the remains of stemmed wine glasses, broken bottles, panes of window glass, tumblers, and pieces of mirrors. Glass was a common material used in all aspects of tavern keeping. Clay pipes, used to smoke tobacco, were inexpensive to purchase but easy to break. Pipe fragments, such as the ones displayed, are frequently found at the sites of historic taverns.

Signet Ring

This small glass gemstone, which is carved with the British Royal Coat of Arms, used to be set into a ring. The person who owned it may have worn it to show their loyalty to the British Crown. It is unclear if this gemstone was intentionally thrown away or accidentally lost at the tavern.

Inscribed Windowpane

This broken windowpane, found in the Humphreys' privy, is inscribed with the names and initials of men who frequented the tavern. Research in historic Philadelphia city directories helped archaeologists identify some of the men from the neighborhood who scratched their names into the glass. They include a local cooper and a dancing instructor.

The phrase, “We admire riches and are in love with idleness,” is also inscribed on the glass. The line is based on a speech by Marcus Porcius Cato (95 BCE-46 BCE) of the Roman Republic who encouraged good citizenship among his fellow Romans. Cato, an opponent of the tyranny of Julius Caesar, was admired by Americans in their political struggle with Great Britain. The person who inscribed the glass may have chosen to reference Cato in order to criticize British tyranny.

Learn More About the Humphreys & Quansheba

Benjamin and Mary Humphreys: Quaker Tavern Keepers
Prior to the archaeological dig, little was known about Benjamin and Mary Humphreys. The artifacts found during the excavations, particularly a large amount of drinking vessels typically associated with alcoholic beverages, prompted further research into their story.

The Humphreys family purchased a house (now demolished) on an alley at the future site of the Museum in July 1776, just a couple days after the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin was employed as a cutler, a maker of knives and other cutting tools. Written records also show that Benjamin and Mary opened their home as a tavern, a gathering place for locals and travelers that served alcoholic beverages and food. Tavern-keeping was a direct contradiction to the Humphreys family’s Quaker beliefs, which opposed consuming alcohol in excess and unruly behavior. Benjamin and Mary, however, operated their tavern illegally, without a required government license.

Mary’s involvement in the tavern led to her arrest in 1783. Although she was found "guilty of keeping a disorderly house," it is unclear if Mary served her sentence or if her arrest made her quit keeping a tavern. She and Benjamin remained at their home for the rest of their lives. Benjamin died in 1794, and Mary died in 1822 at the age of 92.

Quansheba Morgan: A Formerly Enslaved Woman
Benjamin and Mary Humphreys were part of a growing number of Quakers in Philadelphia who began to manumit (free) the enslaved people they owned due in part to a rising anti-slavery movement. In May 1776, Benjamin Humphreys, in front of his fellow Quakers at a meeting, declared his decision to manumit Quansheba Morgan, the enslaved woman of African descent Humphreys owned.

Quansheba played an important role in the Humphreys household and business. After gaining her freedom from Benjamin Humphreys, Quansheba remained with the family and assisted Mary in the tavern. Serving food and drinks, and cleaning up after patrons, Quansheba was likely tasked with throwing broken tavern wares and food scraps into the privy. Prior to his death in 1794, Benjamin wrote in his will that Quansheba should “be maintained and supported out of my Estate during her Life.”