The 2012 Summer Archaeology Institute wrapped up in early August after 4 weeks of exciting excavation. This year's focus was the lowest terrace of the estate's Formal Garden, at a site believed to be the location of the original "summer house." The Institutes's STPs (shovel test pits) unearthed artifacts from the first day of digging on, making for fruitful and rewarding sessions for both students and teachers alike. Jenny Wildt and Sara Belkin, two Boston University PhD candidates, directed the 2012 Institute with assistance from several other PhD candidates from the archaeology program. By the end of the second session, the archaeologists determined that they had unearthed a trash heap used as fill to change the grade of the property line in the early 20th century. This was no ordinary trash heap, or ordinary family however. For this family, "trash" used as fill included intact porcelain pieces such as plates and teapots, slate roof tiles, and even a circa 1820 beaver trap. Participating students came from a wide range of schools including Boston, Milton, Newton, and Randolph - we even had a student visiting from Virginia!