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After they finished excavating the cellars, the archaeologists discovered that there had been a series of long, narrow trenches dug into the clay floor of the cellar.  When the investigation was completed the size, location, and frequency of the trenches were found to correspond to what are known as “sleeper” joists.  Sleepers are wooden beams that are partially buried in the ground and used to support a floor made from wooden boards.   In the 18th and early 19th century it was fairly common to use sleepers for cellars and other spaces where the floors were laid directly on the ground.  Floors supported by sleepers were also cheaper to build since the carpenters did not have to install wooden beams called sills to support the joists or cut complex tenons and mortises joints.

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The locations of the sleepers found during the archaeological excavations are marked with tissue paper.