Read these sentences from Clara Guernsey's "The Cold Hand":

There is a rocky hill in what was till recently the town of Dorchester, looking out over Boston Bay. It takes its name from the stiff black savins with which it is covered, and which contrive to find nourishment and support in the rock to which they cling.
Which element of this text suggests the events happened long ago?
Details about the hills
Location and place names
Sentence length
Word choice and word order