Construction on the new Living Learning Center has paused once again, this time for an unknown amount of time. An excavator hit granite, assumed to be naturally occurring under the former Park Science building, on March 29, 2024.
As Skanska construction continued excavation for the building’s foundation, they noticed the polished white granite was nearly 10 feet long, with decorative inscriptions. Due to Skanska policy, they have stopped construction for the foreseeable future.
“We were digging the foundation of this 16-story eyesore when our excavators hit solid granite. We had to pause construction for a day while we brought in experts,” a project leader from Skanska said in an email to reporters. “Turns out it’s a foot of solid granite with a tomb underneath.”
A press release from the Boston City Archeology Program on Monday stated: “This is the most incredible archeological find in the city of Boston, and we are excited to move forward to excavate and study this magnificent piece of 1870s architecture.”
The archeological team has already uncovered the full tomb, digging down nearly 10 feet to the bottom, 15 feet across, and 15 feet wide. The archeology team and the Simmons Archives have agreed that all materials excavated from the tomb will go to the Simmons Archives and will be displayed starting in the fall 2024 semester.
Masters of Public Policy student and soccer captain Maureen Grant, when notified about the tomb, yelled “what!” – which was the common response among students. Rumors have spread across campus, from the tomb holding John Simmons’ mummified body, solid gold bars, and pottery with drawings of a shark. The Voice was unable to substantiate these rumors.
“I’m pretty excited, but I want to see proof,” sophomore Political Science student Julia Rodgers said, wearing a tinfoil hat. “Simmons might just be using any excuse to delay construction – you have to see to believe.”
“I saw that John Simmons was buried on the Academic quad on Wikipedia, but I always thought it was fake,” sophomore Public Relations major Maggie Wettergren said. “But I knew it was real. I was wondering when the information would be leaked to the public. They’ve kept [him being buried on the quad] under wraps.”
Students have expressed their frustration with the delay on the Living Learning Center but are still curiously optimistic about what the findings mean for the university. As one anonymous poster on a student confessions page puts it, “People need to lighten up. Just be happy Simmons is making headlines for something cool this time.”
