Interpreting the Early Modern World: Transatlantic Perspectives (Contributions To Global Historical Archaeology)

Although historical archaeologists often explore similar themes, the intellectual traditions in the United States and the United Kingdom lead to differing interpretations of these themes. The contributions to this innovative volume provide a bridge between a US-based archaeologist and a UK-based archaeologist on the themes of landscape studies, urban archaeology, memory and memorialization, gender studies, the lives of industrial workers, and archaeological biographies. The chapters are not meant to stand in isolation, but rather provide a dialog between both groups. This work explores the strengths of interpretive historical archaeology in the US and the UK, as well as compare and contrast differing approaches. It aims to foster debate and productive collaborations between historical archaeologists from different geographic regions. It will of interest to UK and US-based archaeologists, as well as those performing interpretive historical archaeology in other regions who will benefit from the insights it provides. Country Estates/Landscapes An American Landscape Conversation (Lu Ann De Cunzo and Nedda Moqtaderi) Estate Landscapes in England: Interpretive Archaeologies (Tom Williamson) Archaeology of Nineteenth-Century Cities and the Lives of Working People Beyond Stories: A Quantitative Approach to the Archaeology of Households, Neighborhoods, and Cities (Adrian Praetzellis and Mary Praetzellis) Stooping to Pick Up Stones: A Reflection on Urban Archaeology (James Symonds) Contesting Race, Constructing Memory Passing for Black in Seventeenth-Century Maryland (Julia A. King and Edward E. Chaney) “Sorting Stones”: Monuments, Memory and Resistance in the Scottish Highlands (Siân Jones) Gender, Embodiment, Life Course, Materiality, and Identity Stitching Women’s Lives: Interpreting the Artifacts of Sewing and Needlework (Mary C. Beaudry) The Intimacy of Death: Interpreting Gender and the Life Course in Medieval and Early Modern Burials (Roberta Gilchrist) Industrial Housing/Landscapes Mrs. Perrin’s “Tranklements”: Community Life and Class Distinction in (Post)Industrial-Era Cheshire (Sarah Whitehead and Eleanor Conlin Casella) Attitudes to Religion, Education, and Status in Worker Settlements: The Architectural and Archaeological Evidence from Wales (Stephen R. Hughes) Commentary Revelations: Comments on Interpreting the Early Modern World (Rebecca Yamin) Subject Index Front Matter....Pages i-xxii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 An American Landscape Conversation....Pages 3-23 Estate Landscapes in England: Interpretive Archaeologies....Pages 25-42 Front Matter....Pages 43-43 Beyond Stories: A Quantitative Approach to the Archaeology of Households, Neighborhoods, and Cities....Pages 45-61 Stooping to Pick Up Stones: A Reflection on Urban Archaeology....Pages 63-84 Front Matter....Pages 85-85 Passing for Black in Seventeenth-Century Maryland....Pages 87-112 “Sorting Stones”: Monuments, Memory and Resistance in the Scottish Highlands....Pages 113-139 Front Matter....Pages 141-141 Stitching Women’s Lives: Interpreting the Artifacts of Sewing and Needlework....Pages 143-158 The Intimacy of Death: Interpreting Gender and the Life Course in Medieval and Early Modern Burials....Pages 159-173 Front Matter....Pages 175-175 Mrs. Perrin’s “Tranklements”: Community Life and Class Distinction in (Post)Industrial-Era Cheshire....Pages 177-195 Attitudes to Religion, Education, and Status in Worker Settlements: The Architectural and Archaeological Evidence from Wales....Pages 197-225 Front Matter....Pages 227-227 Revelations: Comments on Interpreting the Early Modern World....Pages 229-233 Back Matter....Pages 235-243 This volume is based on a session at a 2005 Society for Historical Archaeology meeting. The organizers assembled historical archaeologists from the UK and the US, whose work arises out of differing intellectual traditions. The authors exchange ideas about what their colleagues have written, and construct dialogues about theories and practices that inform interpretive archaeology on either side of the Atlantic, ending with commentary by two well-known names in interpretive archaeology.