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Full-Text Articles in Archaeological Anthropology
A Guide To Spurs Of Maryland And Delaware Ca. 1635-1820, Sara Rivers-Cofield
A Guide To Spurs Of Maryland And Delaware Ca. 1635-1820, Sara Rivers-Cofield
Northeast Historical Archaeology
This paper discusses research conducted on an assemblage of colonial spurs from Maryland and Delaware. The author has conducted this research for the purpose of adding the artifact category to the “Small Finds” section of the “Diagnostic Artifacts in Maryland” webpage. Identification and dating of spurs will be discussed, as will the value and meaning of spurs to the individuals who wore them. Spurs are not simply functional objects associated with horsemanship, they also represent items of personal adornment that can offer insight into status marking and boot styles worn in different time periods. This research draws from probate inventories, …
"Jesuit" Rings In Trade Exchanges Between France And New France: Contribution Of A Technological Typology To Identifying Supply And Distribution Networks, Caroline Mercier
"Jesuit" Rings In Trade Exchanges Between France And New France: Contribution Of A Technological Typology To Identifying Supply And Distribution Networks, Caroline Mercier
Northeast Historical Archaeology
A recent study of “Jesuit” rings uncovered in the province of Quebec has led to the development of a technological typology based on shaping and decorative techniques. This typology revealed the existence of four main ring models, each of which has its own chronological and geographical distribution. The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the differential distribution of these four models reflects supply and distribution networks in France and New France.
Small Finds, Space, And Social Context: Exploring Agency In Historical Archaeology, David Muraca, John Coombs, Phil Levy, Laura Galke, Paul Nasca, Amy Muraca
Small Finds, Space, And Social Context: Exploring Agency In Historical Archaeology, David Muraca, John Coombs, Phil Levy, Laura Galke, Paul Nasca, Amy Muraca
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The George Washington Foundation Department of Archaeology has combined a number of excavation and artifact-recovery techniques with a deliberate approach to artifact research and analysis in the laboratory to enhance interpretations of past behaviors. This article describes the elements of this approach and provides a case study involving the numerous 18th-century wig hair curler fragments found at the boyhood home of George Washington. The historical record together with the material culture assemblage allow us to demonstrate that the Washington family engaged in a home-based system of wig maintenance, allowing the economically struggling Washington boys to don wigs, an essential element …
Book Review: The Edge Of The Woods: Iroquoia, 1534-1701, By Jon Parmenter, Jack Rossen
Book Review: The Edge Of The Woods: Iroquoia, 1534-1701, By Jon Parmenter, Jack Rossen
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Review of The Edge of the Woods: Iroquoia, 1634-1701, by Jon Parmenter, 2012, Michigan State University Press, 520 pages, black and white illustrations, maps, notes, bibliography, index, $49.95 (cloth).
Book Review: Saugus Iron Works: The Roland W. Robbins Excavations, 1948-1953, Richard Veit
Book Review: Saugus Iron Works: The Roland W. Robbins Excavations, 1948-1953, Richard Veit
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Review of Sagues Iron Works: The Roland W. Robbins Excavations, 1948-1953, edited by William A. Griswold and Donald W. Linebaugh, 2011, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 440 pages, 182 black-and-white illustrations, index, appendices, no price given.
Book Review: Black Feminist Archaeology By Whitney Battle-Baptiste, Barbara J. Little
Book Review: Black Feminist Archaeology By Whitney Battle-Baptiste, Barbara J. Little
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Review of Black Feminist Archaeology, by Whitney Battle-Baptiste, 2011, Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek, CA, 200 pages, $94.00 (cloth), $32.95 (paper), $32.95 (ebook).
Resurrectionists' Excursions: Evidence Of Postmortem Dissection From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church, Shannon A. Novak, Wesley Willoughby
Resurrectionists' Excursions: Evidence Of Postmortem Dissection From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church, Shannon A. Novak, Wesley Willoughby
Northeast Historical Archaeology
In this paper we contextualize two unique individuals recovered from the historic Spring Street Presbyterian Church burial vaults in lower Manhattan (ca. 1820-1846). The crania of one adolescent and one infant display clear evidence of a craniotomy. Both had complete circumferential incisions to remove the calvarium for internal examination. Both crania were sectioned using a saw, though the adolescent underwent further postmortem preparation: thin scalpel marks indicate defleshing, and metal pins embedded in the frontal and occipital bones would have facilitated disarticulation and rearticulation of the vault, presumably for teaching. By the early 19th century, the illicit exhumation of graves …
The Children Of Spring Street: Rickets In An Early Nineteenth-Century Congregation, Meredith A. B. Ellis
The Children Of Spring Street: Rickets In An Early Nineteenth-Century Congregation, Meredith A. B. Ellis
Northeast Historical Archaeology
This paper examines the prevalence of rickets, or vitamin D deficiency, in the subadult skeletal remains from the burial vaults of the Spring Street Presbyterian Church of New York City. The burial vaults of the church were active from approximately 1820–1846 and contain the remains of at least 86 subadults (minimum number of individuals count [MNI] of left tibiae). Over 34% of the subadult tibiae in this collection display pathology consistent with vitamin D deficiency. Since vitamin D is acquired through access to sunlight and specific foods, a high rate of rickets can give clues about living conditions, parenting strategies, …
Archaeologies Of Disease And Public Order In Nineteenth-Century New York: The View From Spring And Varick, William Werner, Shannon A. Novak
Archaeologies Of Disease And Public Order In Nineteenth-Century New York: The View From Spring And Varick, William Werner, Shannon A. Novak
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The authors situate evidence of disease among the burial population of the Spring Street Presbyterian Church within evolving attitudes towards public health and civic order in 19th-century Manhattan. Two personal vignettes illustrate how individuals interacted with the physical space of the church’s vicinity at different moments in the history of municipal reform. The first, a 16-year-old girl named Louisa, was virtually absent from the historical record until the recovery and analysis of her skeletal remains from the church burial vaults. Her skeletal biography conveys the cosmopolitan nature of Manhattan social relations in the early 19th century and the complex ways …
"That Class Of Person Who Cannot Afford A Pew": Analysis Of The Human Remains From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church Burial Vaults, Thomas A. Crist
"That Class Of Person Who Cannot Afford A Pew": Analysis Of The Human Remains From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church Burial Vaults, Thomas A. Crist
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The analysis of the skeletal remains of 85 people interred between ca. 1820 and 1846 in the vaults of the abolitionist Spring Street Presbyterian Church provides unique insights regarding the biological history of antebellum New York City unavailable from other sources. Even though the sample size is small, the remains reflect the prevalence of infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, nutritional deficiencies, premature deaths, and high infant mortality that characterized the rapidly industrializing city. Among the most remarkable discoveries were a rare case of abdominal cancer; a mother and her full-term fetus in utero buried together; two autopsied children; and a dental …
Stories From The Rubble: Analysis Of Mortuary Artifacts From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church Vaults, Rebecca L. White, Douglas B. Mooney
Stories From The Rubble: Analysis Of Mortuary Artifacts From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church Vaults, Rebecca L. White, Douglas B. Mooney
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Archaeological investigations of the Spring Street Presbyterian Church vaults resulted in the recovery of coffin plates, hardware and other burial-related artifacts that convey information regarding the individuals interred within these chambers. These interments also offer a glimpse at mortuary customs and practices in vault burials during the first half of the 19th century.
Lost Within The Rubble: The Archaeological Findings From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church Burial Vaults, Douglas B. Mooney
Lost Within The Rubble: The Archaeological Findings From The Spring Street Presbyterian Church Burial Vaults, Douglas B. Mooney
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Archaeological investigations of the former Spring Street Presbyterian Church property resulted in the discovery of four stone and brick subterranean congregational burial vaults. In active use for only about 25 years, these chambers were found to contain the remains of more than 200 individuals, including large numbers of children. Excavations revealed that remains had been impacted by both natural and manmade processes at various points in the past; however, a total of 46 discrete burials were identified during the excavations. Findings from these investigations provide much previously unavailable information regarding the structure, internal organization, and preservation of remains within 19th-century …
"A Free Church For The People": The History Of The Spring Street Church And Its Burial Vaults, Elizabeth D. Meade
"A Free Church For The People": The History Of The Spring Street Church And Its Burial Vaults, Elizabeth D. Meade
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The Spring Street Church was constructed in the early 19th century to accommodate worshipers in what was then the unsettled area north of the developed portion of New York City. Burial vaults were constructed alongside the church by circa 1820 and were in use for more than 20 years, when changing legislation regarding human burials in Manhattan forced the church to close the vaults. During the period of the vaults’ use, the Spring Street Church members participated in the Abolitionist movement and, as a result of the congregation's promotion of anti-slavery ideologies, the church was demolished by an angry mob …
Introduction: Archaeological And Forensic Investigations Of An Abolitionist Church In New York City, Edward M. Morin
Introduction: Archaeological And Forensic Investigations Of An Abolitionist Church In New York City, Edward M. Morin
Northeast Historical Archaeology
While excavating the foundations for a planned condominium hotel complex in Manhattan, construction crews discovered human remains. The construction staff subsequently ceased excavation and notified the New York City Police Department and the Medical Examiner’s office. Project officials also notified the New York City Department of Buildings and the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission who requested all excavation be stopped in the vicinity of the remains. Ultimately, the Department of Buildings, the construction permitting agency, determined that all further construction activities be suspended pending the receipt and approval of an integrated work plan for the recovery, documentation and analysis …
From Pork To Mutton: A Zooarchaeological Perspective On Colonial New Amsterdam And Early New York City, Haskell J. Greenfield
From Pork To Mutton: A Zooarchaeological Perspective On Colonial New Amsterdam And Early New York City, Haskell J. Greenfield
Northeast Historical Archaeology
This article analyzes the zooarchaeological remains from historical deposits to increase our understanding of the relationship between diet and ethnicity in early colonial New York City. Excavations at the Broad Financial Plaza recovered faunal remains documenting approximatley two centuries of historical occupation (middle 17th to the middle of the 19th century), a sequence rivaled by few other early colonial North American localities. Several trends are apparent in the data. Relative frequencies of pig remains declined while mutton and cattle increased correspondingly as New Amsterdam became the British colony of New York and as the Dutch residents on the block were …
Pollen Record Formation Processes At The Isles Of Shoals: Botanical Records Of Human Behavior, Gerald K. Kelso, Faith Harrington
Pollen Record Formation Processes At The Isles Of Shoals: Botanical Records Of Human Behavior, Gerald K. Kelso, Faith Harrington
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Exploratory pollen analysis on Appledore Island at the Isles of Shoals, a group of nine islands located approximately eight miles off the coast of southern Maine and New Hampshire, indicates that pollen preservation is excellent in exposed island soil deposits in the temperate zone and that pollen percolation into deposits from surface preserves the record of natural and cultural events where dep cultural deposits have not developed. The Appledore pollen spectra registered the establishment of the resort hotel industry on the island in the mid-19th-century, the virtual abandonment of the island after a major fire in 1914, and the chestnut …
Squeezing Ceramics For More Than Their Worth: Boundary Maintenance At An 18th-Century Port In New Jersey, Rebecca Yamin
Squeezing Ceramics For More Than Their Worth: Boundary Maintenance At An 18th-Century Port In New Jersey, Rebecca Yamin
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Archaeological excavations and associated documentary studies at Raritan Landing, an 18th/19th-century port site on the Raitan River in Piscataway, New Jersey, suggested that the relationship between this small community of traders and New York City merchants changed during the years preceding the Revolutionary War. Diminshing kinship, commercial, and institutional ties between the Raritan Landing traders and New York investors appeared to reflect increasing independence from New York domination over time. When the ceramics recovered from pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary-period deposits were compared to deposits from several sites in Manhattan and another site within New York, a pattern emerged that has been …
Prospect Hill: Skeletal Remains From A 19th-Century Methodist Cemetery, Newmarket, Ontario, S. Pfeiffer, J. C. Dudar, S. Austin
Prospect Hill: Skeletal Remains From A 19th-Century Methodist Cemetery, Newmarket, Ontario, S. Pfeiffer, J. C. Dudar, S. Austin
Northeast Historical Archaeology
During 1989-90, in response to disruption caused by a building site excavation in Newmarket, Ontario, archaeological and biological information was salvaged from a former church cemetery dating from 1824 or 1827 to 1879. The skeletal remains of 77 indivaduals indicate a population with high infant mortality and little access to medical or dental care. Nevertheless, the autopsy of a young pregnant woman and one gold dental filling indicate there was an incipient interest in biomedical that mechanisms be available to allow the salvage of as much historical and biological information as possible.
Archaeological Excavations At Bon-Désir: Basque Presence In The St. Lawrence Estuary, Dominique Lalande
Archaeological Excavations At Bon-Désir: Basque Presence In The St. Lawrence Estuary, Dominique Lalande
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The archaeological fieldwork on the Anse à La Cave site at Bon-Désir uncovered remains associated with the exploitation of marine mammals in the St. Lawrence estuary. Excavations revealed the presence of two series of ovens used for rendering marine mammal fat. These preliminary data contribute to our understanding of sites based on the seasonal exploitation of whales in North America by European fishermen. The environmental, historical, and archaeological data support the hypothesis of a Basque occupation in the St. Lawrence estuary, particularly on the Anse à La Cave site from perhaps as early as the end of the 16th century …
The Development Of Contact Period Archaeology In Southern New England And Long Island: From "Gee Whiz!" To "Say What?", Bert Salwen
Northeast Historical Archaeology
It seems that contemporary archaeologists of the Contact Period continue a long tradition of uncritical acceptance of the written word as "God's truth," to be tested against or to inform the incomplete and necessarily biased archaeological record. When documentary history is available, have archaeologists really progessed so little- from excited discoveries of the antiquarians ("gee whiz") to mere confirmation of written accounts ("so what")? No. This paper argues that archaeologists, working as anthropologists and in conjunction with historians, have been producing new, more critical social analyses of the 17th-century culture contact situation in New England.
Editor's Introduction, Mary C. Beaudry
Editor's Introduction, Mary C. Beaudry
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Editor's introduction to the volume.
The Origins Of Trade Silver Among The Lenape: Pewter Objects From Southeastern Pennsylvania As Possible Precursors, Marshall Joseph Becker
The Origins Of Trade Silver Among The Lenape: Pewter Objects From Southeastern Pennsylvania As Possible Precursors, Marshall Joseph Becker
Northeast Historical Archaeology
A reawakening of interest in material culture has stimulated the examination of some small pewter castings in use among northeastern Native American peoples during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Reports by 17thcentury explorers and colonists, ·who found Eastern Woodland natives to be disinterested in gold and silver artifacts, are now better understood. The period from 1720 to 1750 was critical to the Lenape and other peoples who had just become major players in the fur trade to the Allegheny and Ohio River areas. During this period various silver-colored white metal castings may have been the precursors of sterling-quality silver …
Who Edits The Editors? Snake Hill And Archaeological Reports, Al B. Wesolowsky
Who Edits The Editors? Snake Hill And Archaeological Reports, Al B. Wesolowsky
Northeast Historical Archaeology
A review of Snake Hill: An Investigation of a Military Cemetery from the War of 1812, edited by Susan Pfeiffer and Ronald F. Williamson, provides a coign of vantage regarding two aspects of particular concern to historical archaeologists. One is the increasing number of historical cemeteries that, because of recent legislation and a broadening of research domains, are being investiagted by archaeologists. The other, closely related, aspect is the need for strong editorial oversight in preparing for the press reports that comprise the contributions of diverse specialists. Snake Hill was a good project that resulted in a report that, while …
The General Hospital At Mount Independence: 18th-Century Health Care At A Revolutionary War Cantonment, David R. Starbuck
The General Hospital At Mount Independence: 18th-Century Health Care At A Revolutionary War Cantonment, David R. Starbuck
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The General Hospital at Mount Independence in Orwell, Vermont, has been examined in order to learn more about the configuration of an 18-century military hospital. Historical research combined with on-site excavation in 1990 exposed the foundation of a 250-foot-long building containing principally archicetural and kitchen debris. While physical remains did not reveal the layout of individual rooms, archaeological and historical evidence have nevertheless provided insights into the appearance and function of this important structure.
Building A Framework For Research: Delaware's Management Plan For Historical Archaeological Resources, Lu Ann De Cunzo, Wade P. Catts
Building A Framework For Research: Delaware's Management Plan For Historical Archaeological Resources, Lu Ann De Cunzo, Wade P. Catts
Northeast Historical Archaeology
In 1990 the authors completed a Management Plan for Delaware's Historical Archaeological Resources. This article outlines the Management Plan's objectives and components, and presents the core of the research program for historical archaeology developed in the Plan. The Delaware Plan may suggest ideas to histroical archaeologists developing plans for other states, provinces, counties, and even cities or other municipalities. At the same time, Delaware historical archaeology can benefit from the responses to this Plan offered by our colleagues across the Northeast and beyond.
Historical Archaeology At Saybrook Point, Connecticut: Excavation And Interpretation At An Archaeological And Historical Park, Harold D. Juli
Historical Archaeology At Saybrook Point, Connecticut: Excavation And Interpretation At An Archaeological And Historical Park, Harold D. Juli
Northeast Historical Archaeology
This paper discusses the discoveries resulting from a study of 350 years of occupation at Saybrook Point, in the town of Old Saybrook, Connecticut's earliest English coastal settlement (1635). Three seasons of archaeological research (1980-1982), along with documentary sources provided information for the construction of a detailed site history. Specifically, the paper focuses on the role of archaeology in understanding growth and change within the earliest area of settlement in a small Connecticut town, as well as the interpretation of these findings in the form of an archaeological and historical park, constructed within the excavation zone.
Bones And Burial Registers: Infant Mortality In A 19th-Century Cemetery From Upper Canada, Ann Herring, Shelley Saunders, Gerry Boyce
Bones And Burial Registers: Infant Mortality In A 19th-Century Cemetery From Upper Canada, Ann Herring, Shelley Saunders, Gerry Boyce
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The fortunate conjunction of a large skeletal sample (n=576) and reliable burial records (n=1,564) for St. Thomas' Anglican Church cemetery (1821-1874) makes it possible to make inferences about patterns of infant death in 19th-century Belleville, Ontario. Analysis of both sets of data indicates that males and females were equally likely to die during infancy and that environmental factors played an important role in Belleville's mortality profile. The parish records reveal elevated risks of infant death in the summer, probably from the weanling diarrhea complex, owing to unsanitary conditions and the presence of acute infectious diseases in the town. The importance …
Death At Snake Hill: A Review Of The Popular Report, Edward L. Bell
Death At Snake Hill: A Review Of The Popular Report, Edward L. Bell
Northeast Historical Archaeology
The popular account of an archaeological investigation of a War of 1812 cemetery in Ontario offers a fine example of the need to relay research results to our interested constituents. Popular reports should emphasize not only the scientific and historical value of archaeological resources, but also encourage public support for adequate preservation planning. Like politics, popular archaeological accounts are highly effective when they appeal to local constituents' interests.
Thunder And Powder: May They Never Meet! Lightning Conductors At The Esplanade Powder Magazine, Quebec City, Pierre Drouin
Thunder And Powder: May They Never Meet! Lightning Conductors At The Esplanade Powder Magazine, Quebec City, Pierre Drouin
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Archaeological excavations carried out at the Esplanade powder magazine in Quebec City have revealed the remains of three successive lighting conductor systems. These 19th-century remains are closely examined in the light of contemporary literature and compared with the military instructions concerning the subject. Their presence highlights the efforts made by military engineers of the time to safeguard contents, buildings, and people from the hazards inherent to the storage of explosive materials in powder magazines.
The Orphanage At Schuyler Mansion, Lois Feister
The Orphanage At Schuyler Mansion, Lois Feister
Northeast Historical Archaeology
Doll parts, toy tea set fragments, and other toys were excavated from the late 19th-century through early 20th-century occupation layers at the Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site in Albany, New York. Their occurrence raised questions about the orphans hosed their during that time period. Archival research and archaeological analysis resulted in increased understanding of the care received by homeless children during that period.