In most households, residents disposed of their trash by throwing it out the window. Archaeologists use these trash heaps, called middens, to learn about how people lived in the past. At London Town, archaeologists discovered that people in the eighteenth century, such as the Holland Pierpoint family, regularly ate oysters, corn, and pork as part of their diet. Oysters were plentiful in the Chesapeake Bay and in the South River at that time.

Water - Dangerous!

During the colonial period, residents of London Town used water from the brackish South River. Brackish water is a combination of fresh and salt water - drinking salt water causes illness. London Town, a busy port, had numerous ships unloading cargo in the area. Just as the residents of London Town disposed of their trash and personal waste by throwing it outside, incoming ships disposed of trash and waste by throwing it overboard, polluting the river water. People were also sickened by water from their own wells, which were often dug close to privies, further contaminating the water supply. In the colonial period, it was actually safer and healthier to drink small beer or alcoholic beverages because the alcohol killed the viruses and germs in the water supply. Brewing beer and small beer was yet another duty for ordinary owners. Thus beer was served to both customers and family members, even children.