Enlivening Harvard’s past toward envisioning Harvard’s future.

Welcome to the page for the Harvard Yard Archaeology Project (HYAP)! Join on the journey exploring Harvard's history through the material culture found directly in the historic yard. Here you'll be able to find detailed information on artifacts, narratives of Harvard's history, as well as more information on the excavation project itself. 

The images to the right display the site of the 2018 project within the historic Harvard Yard; a more detailed map of the 2018 (grey) and 2016 (pink) excavations; as well as a detailed 3D reconstruction of what Harvard looked like in 1636 given the findings from the HYAP. 

The artifacts span four centuries from Harvard's founding in 1636 to present day.

Explore artifacts by their respective centuries here. 

In the yard we find all types of materials: ceramics, glass, shell, bone, and more. Search artifacts by material here. 

Curious what an excavation in the Yard looks like? Check out our virtual excavations on this page! 

For photos of our project, check out our Gallery page, and for more information about the project, read the About page!