The papers of Beth A. Bower, an archaeologist who worked on the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, have been processed and are ready for research at the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections (NUASC).
The Central Artery/Tunnel Project, also known as the Big Dig, refers to the infrastructure project that moved the downtown Boston portion of I-93 underground. It also created a third tunnel under Boston Harbor. Construction took place from 1991-2006.
Bower was an employee of Bechtel/Parsons Brinkerhoff, the project management company of the Big Dig. She held several different positions during her time on the project, including External Affairs Manager, but she is largely known for her archaeological work. The North End and Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor were both sites of archaeological excavations that Bower worked on for the Big Dig.
Excavations in the North End revealed remnants of structures such as wharves, warehouses, and even a Colonial privy that yielded many artifacts. Items such as dish shards, fruit seeds, and animal bones provided information on the diet and lives of 17th century Bostonians.
Archaeological work on Spectacle Island focused on a shell midden, an archaeological term for a trash pile created by prolonged human occupation; in Spectacle Island’s case, a significant portion was made of mollusk shells. Radiocarbon dating of the site ranged from 535-1590 CE, placing the shell midden in the pre-European contact eras known as the Middle and Late Woodland periods. Besides shells, Spectacle Island artifacts included bone and stone tools, broken pottery, and animal bones.
Beth A. Bower papers, M228. Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections.
One of the highlights of Bower’s collection is the memorabilia related to the Big Dig, including hard hats, buttons, and mugs. Many of the objects focus on the Ted Williams Tunnel, which connects the Massachusetts Turnpike to Logan Airport and was named for the famous Red Sox left fielder who played from 1939-1960 (with a break from 1942-46 to serve during World War II). Limited edition Ted Williams Tunnel baseball cards were given out to commemorate the opening of the tunnel, which they called “Opening Day” after the baseball season’s first game of the year.
This finding aid provides background information and a folder-level inventory of the collection’s eight boxes of archaeological, external affairs, and engineering files, as well as Bower’s notebooks and Big Dig paraphernalia. Overall, the collection documents Bower’s work on the Big Dig and the milestones the project reached while she was a part of it.
To learn more about the Beth A. Bower papers, email archives@northeastern.edu.
Processing Assistant Julia Lee (she/her) is in her last semester of the Simmons University Library and Information Science graduate program. She has been with NUASC for over two years and received her BA from Northeastern University with a combined major in English and Theatre.