Spicy French Quarter Archaeology

The Historic New Orleans Collection commissioned an archaelogical firm to excavate a property it has acquired on Conti Street, which has been a one story parking garage for most of the 20th century. It is believed by the archaeologists to be the site of the legendary "House of The Rising Sun" bordello. The site had been occupied by two hotels successively in the 19th century. The level of the second hotel, circa 1828-1887, yielded little in the way of artifacts, but in the level of the second, 1808-1822, there were items uncovered that suggested it was a a bawdy establishment, such as rouge pots and "tons of liquor bottles". That first hotel was known as The Rising Sun Hotel. An 1821 ad for the "hotel" in the Louisiana Gazette read that the new owners would "maintain the character of giving the best entertainment, which this house has enjoyed for twenty years past", and "Gentlemen may here rely upon finding attentive Servants. The bar will be supplied with genuine good Liquors..."; not necessarily admitting to illicit activity but suggesting a "good time" could be found there. Otherwise, no reference to an actual bordello called The House of The Rising Sun has been found in researching the history of prostitution in New Orleans.

Even more interesting, in the garden beneath several inches of sterile soil presumably from years before the founding of New Orleans in 1718, the team uncovered pieces of prehistoric Indian pottery dating from between 1200 to 1700. This may suggest that Bienville established the city on a site of sustained Indian occupation. There has been no evidence before this that Indians lived in the same area chosen for the city, although an Indian village is known to have existed near Bayou St. John.

I just love this stuff.

I'm going to spend a week in NOLA in December. Any ideas of a good "Haunted Hotel" to stay at? I've been there a few times and that one house that had the torture chamber up the attic REALLY freaks me out! I had to drink myself into the gutter at the Cats Meow after that! ACK!

Madame LaLaurie, she was a real piece of work.
Don't know of any hotel hauntings first hand, but I can attest to the verity of the O'Flaherty's and Le Petit Theatre ghosts.
(Tangaroa, just go on to another thread...)

Awesome! Really fascinating... the idea of finding a "buried" building is so interesting....

Ahhhh PJ, - you know I don't belive in..... G-G-G-Ghosts!!!!!!

I, at some point in my miserable life want to go to N.O.

go to "the carousel" bar in the Hotel M onteleone on royal street! , also "Hong Kong" restaurent at the lakefront next to the "acme" oyster house , lotsa bamboo , zombies, polyneezan grub, great view ect.... I live in the french quarter and know all the swanky hangouts...... ask me if ya need any help . (O yes, i also own a full on tiki themed tattoo studio out by the local airport ,got about 300 vintage mugs/etc on dislay at the studio , cheerz! yall!

I read that article! totally fascinating.

Makes me think though...what'll people conclude a few hundred years from now if they dig into the ruins of the Ugh House?!?

Not only "rouge pots and tons of liquor bottles" but...tiki mugs, sock monkeys, trolls and teapots?!? Just for starters?

Thinking about one's own collecting in archaeological terms can be pretty heady stuff :wink:

On 2005-03-07 16:51, Tiki_Bong wrote:
I, at some point in my miserable life want to go to N.O.

Me thinks, perhaps, there are powerful elements of the universe best left unmixed. :)

I've been to N.O. 4 times, twice for Mardi Gras, and they are some of the fondest memories of my life. Yeah, there's that tired old drunken boobie-fest on Bourbon St., but I have friends there in the Garden District I visited and we did the town, local style. So much fun I can't even go into it here. We had far more fun at the parades and endless house parties in the outlying areas away from the Quarter thrown to celebrate the parades that happen in the many days leading up to Fat Tuesday. I was really impressed by the friends I made there and I have never seen more exemplary displays of neighborhood comraderie than out in the district. Sure, I had my share of depravity while there, but I will never forget the warmth and hospitality I encountered among the folks there. Good folk there.

Baby please don't go. Baby please don't go. Baby please don't go down to New Orleans, you know I love you so. Baby please don't go.

PJ,

You should check out the Historical Exhumation Project:

http://www.forensicartist.com/hep/