Archaeological excavations near Isaac Newton's childhood home in Lincolnshire uncovered items including broken pottery, thimbles, and animal bones. Newton's mother, Hannah Ayscough, left him with his grandparents when he was three years old. His experiences shaped his complex personality, notably his discord with his stepfather Barnabas Smith. Newton's turbulent family life provided insights into his anxious nature and brilliance. The dig highlighted the house where these family dynamics played out and its connection to historical narratives, including the legend of the apple tree influencing Newton's discovery of gravity.
The excavation uncovered rubble from the house, lost domestic items, and animal bones from family meals which Newton almost certainly did not join.
Newton was born in 1643, three months after his father died. His mother left him at three, leaving him in the care of his grandparents.
Many biographers have traced Newton's later prickly personality to his difficult early life, including his feelings towards his stepfather and a strained mother-son relationship.
The house, where imperfections of family life shaped one of the great scientific minds, stood near the legendary apple tree linked to Newton's discovery of gravity.
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