 The first identification of Plymouth Rock as the actual landing site was in 1741 by 90 @-@ year @-@ old Thomas Faunce , whose father had arrived in Plymouth in 1623 , three years after the supposed event . The rock was later covered by a solid @-@ fill pier . In 1774 , an attempt was made to excavate the rock , but it broke in two . The severed piece was placed in the Town Square at the center of Plymouth . In 1880 , the intact half of the rock was excavated from the pier , and the broken piece was reattached to it . Over the years , souvenir hunters have removed chunks from the rock , but the remains are now protected as part of the complex of living museums . These include the Mayflower II , a recreation of the original ship ; Plimoth Plantation , a historical recreation of the original 1620 settlement ; and the Wampanoag Homesite , which recreates a 17th @-@ century Indian village . 
