A Brooklyn archaeologist uncovered a cool 19th century cistern on a construction site in Fort Greene last week and posted a snap to Instagram.

Cisterns, often built of brick, were used to hold rainwater — providing an important source of clean water for household use. Modern plumbing, which came to Brooklyn starting in the 1850s, eventually made cisterns largely obsolete in urban areas.

[instagram_embedding url = “https://www.instagram.com/p/BZoREthnBLO/”]

But instead of being ripped out of backyards, cisterns were often just filled with refuse and forgotten. As a result, they can sometimes yield a treasure trove for archaeologists.

So far, Chrysalis Archaeological Consultants has found a shred of wallpaper, a locket and pieces of bottles at the site, whose precise location is a mystery.

[instagram_embedding url = “https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ1mVNKHZXu/”]

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