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Shakespeare Festival makeover turns up relics that are far from golden Archaeologist Jeff LaLande examines a bottle found Monday during construction work in The Bricks area of Ashland's Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Photo by Larry Stauth Jr. Thursday Jan 5, 2017 at 4:36 PM Jan 5, 2017 at 4:36 PM Summary John Darling for the Mail Tribune An archaeological dig during the renovation of “The Bricks” at Oregon Shakespeare Festival has turned up lots of old, bashed-up bowls, windows, square nails, wire insulators, wash basins and bottles for beer, wine, medicines, lip balm and olives, most of it dating from the late 19th century when the site held a private house, the two-story Hotel Park and a cafe called Anne Hathaway’s. OSF wanted to do the dig to make sure the project didn’t damage any relics of pioneer history or Native American habitation, but none were found, said archaeologist Jeff LaLande, who conducted the recent excavation of the Shasta village on Ashland Plaza, 100 yards to the north. LaLande did extensive “shake screening” of soil from a long trench being dug for water pipe, but found only two small flakes left from native chipping of obsidian and jasper tools. The artifacts from white settlers, he says, were found in an ash midden left from burning trash during construction of the Angus Bowmer Theater in 1970. It was covered by four feet of fill dirt. Some concrete blocks from the old YMCA were found, as was a big water line made of wooden pipe wrapped in wire — and sandstone blocks that formed an east-west property line of OSF. “The construction of the Bowmer made it all a jumble, like it was put through a Waring blender, so the chances of finding anything really old were pretty low,” he says. “The ash deposit was the only remnant of what was there in the 1880s. We’re lucky they burned it. It saved it.” Examining a Lavoris jar (Lavoris, introduced as an antiseptic in the Civil War, was later used as a mouthwash), LaLande observed, “People were pretty concerned about bad breath back then, too.” He also found a Purola jar from a Portland cosmetic manufacturer that made hair dressing, tooth powder and smelling salts. The knoll between Pioneer Street and the Plaza didn’t become a mecca for public entertainment until 1893, when the Chautauqua dome was built. Its circular cement foundation still stands and is part of the Elizabethan Theater, which got its first stage in 1935. The renovation will provide ledge seating that accommodates five times more viewers, with improved sightlines for the increasingly popular Green Show before evening theater performances. It will bring The Bricks into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act and will install sturdier bricks to handle the Festival’s vehicular traffic, according to Roger Prehn, a superintendent with Adroit Construction, which is rebuilding the Bricks. The Bricks remodel project received $500,000 preliminary funding from local residents Judy Shih and Joel Axelrod, part of the couple's $1 million gift to the Festival in April 2016. OSF plans a community-wide fundraising campaign for construction.  “The old bricks were pretty slippery and not compliant with ADA,” says Prehn. “This will make a lot better view and much more seating — and the grade won’t be as steep.” Pioneer Street has been closed during business hours for construction. Pedestrian access across the courtyard has been closed, but a walkway will open by Feb. 17, when the theater season starts. The whole project, Prehn says, will be done by May 15. — John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].