Plimoth Plantation has a small but rich collection of original artifacts that show daily life between 1550 and 1700. The artifacts come from places such as New England, Great Britain and the Netherlands, and represent the material culture the English colonists and Wampanoag would have known. Museum researchers and artisans use the artifacts to help recreate the living history exhibits visitors see at Plimoth Plantation.
Unlike typical museums, Plimoth Plantation does not collect relics to exhibit. Instead, we collect information to recreate everyday life in the 17th century. Information about the past comes from:
An object does not need to be “museum quality” to provide information about the past. Plimoth Plantation’s collections include both whole artifacts as well as pieces dug from the ground.
Objects are divided into three categories:
pilgrim first thanksgiving american history plymouth rock mayflower