Abandoned Cities

Caparra Archeological Site National Historic Landmark

Ruins of Caparra Archaeological Site. Illustration by Eva Vazquez.

If an archeologist studied your home like an building in a very old city, what types of artifacts would they find? Would they know what you did every day or your favorite pastime?

In the 1930s, archeologists discovered stone foundations and artifacts that told the story of Puerto Rico’s first capital in 1508. Ponce de Leon established La Ciudad de Puerto Rico, where archeologists found some of the oldest colonial evidence in the United States. Casa de Tapias, its first building, was built using a rare Spanish construction method. Archeologists figured out how to reconstruct what Casa de Tapias looked like in 1500.

What is something unique in your home that would help archeologists reconstruct your daily life?