Construction crews at Alta Ski Area in Utah were busy installing underground snowmaking pipes when a scoop of dirt tumbled over and revealed something nobody expected: a dark green glass bottle, still perfectly sealed with its original cork, that had been sitting underground untouched since somewhere between 1870 and 1890. Archaeologists on site immediately recognized they were looking at something extraordinary, since finding a full, intact bottle at any dig site in Utah was described by experts as genuinely rare, and this one still had its liquid contents completely preserved inside. With a mix of excitement and just a little bit of trepidation, the director of distilling at a well-known Utah distillery became the first person in over 150 years to taste the mysterious contents, and his verdict was surprisingly pleasant: fruity, with a hint of leather. Testing later suggested the liquid was likely made from apples, pointing toward a type of hard cider crafted with genuine care and skill.
The bottle was unearthed from what was once Alta's historic Water Street, a lively and bustling thoroughfare in the town's silver mining heyday that was buried by a massive avalanche and fire in 1885. The catastrophe that destroyed the street also inadvertently preserved thousands of everyday objects beneath the snow and debris, protecting them from looters and the slow decay of time. Archaeologists and volunteers have now recovered between 5,000 and 6,000 artifacts from the site so far, including boots, bullets, ink wells, pistols, crockery, leather hats, and medicine bottles, with experts estimating that as many as one million more objects may still be waiting underground. Plans are already underway to attempt a recreation of the 150-year-old mystery drink, giving history lovers everywhere something genuinely exciting to look forward to.
