The Archaeology of Slavery and Plantation Life (Studies in Historical Archaeology)

This volume represented a compilation of interdisciplinary research being done throughout the American South and the Caribbean by historians, archaeologists, architects, anthropologists, and other scholars on the topic of slavery and plantations. It synthesizes materials known through the 1980s and reports on key sites of excavation and survey in the Carolinas, Barbados, Louisiana and other locations. Contributors include many of the leading figures in historical archaeology. The Idea Of Preparing This Book Developed As I Worked On My Dissertation On Slave Archaeology. It Became Increasingly Apparent To Me As I Did My Own Work That Most Of The Research Which Was Being Done By Others On The Subject Was Being Published In Serials Of Very Limited Distribution, Seriously Inhibiting The Disclosure Of Findings, Especially To Students And Scholars In Related Fields. What Was Desperately Needed, I Realized, Was A Volume Surveying The Exciting New Research Being Done Throughout The American South And The Caribbean. More Important, However, Than Simply Making The Literature Available, The Book Should Examine The Nature And Variety Of The Empirical Data Derived From This Research, Synthesize Work Contributed By Investigators Of Diverse Backgrounds And Areal Specializations, And Raise Questions For Future Investigation. This Is The Result, The First Collection Of Essays On Plantation Archaeology. It Is Intended To Guide Advanced Students And Professional Archaeologists, But Will Be Of Interest To All Students Of The Plantation System Who Seek To Understand The Byproducts Associated With Plantation Settlement. Research Strategies -- Settlement -- Artifact Patterns -- Foodways -- Afro-american Traditions -- Transformation. Edited By Theresa A. Singleton. Includes Bibliographies And Index. From the Preface The idea of preparing this book developed as I worked on my dissertation on slave archaeology. It became increasingly apparent to me as I did my own work that most of the research which was being done by others on the subject was being published in serials of very limited distribution, seriously inhibiting the disclosure of findings, especially to students and scholars in related fields. What was desperately needed, I realized, was a volume surveying the exciting new research being done throughout the American South and the Caribbean. More important, however, than simply making the literature available, the book should examine the nature and variety of the empirical data derived from this research, synthesize work contributed by investigators of diverse backgrounds and areal specializations, and raise questions for future investigation. This is the result, the first collection of essays on plantation archaeology. It is intended to guide advanced students and professional archaeologists, but will be of interest to all students of the plantation system who seek to understand the byproducts associated with plantation settlement. Of Data AnalysisNewton Plantation; Staple Grove Plantation; Lowthers Plantation; Conclusions; References; 6. The Planter Class: The Archaeological Record at Drayton Hall; Introduction; Drayton Hall; Archaeology at Drayton Hall; The Artifacts; Summary and Conclusions; References; 7. Social and Economic Status on the Coastal Plantation: An Archaeological Perspective; Introduction; Pattern Recognition in Historical Archaeology; Status on the Southern Plantation; Hypotheses; Project Sites; Analyzing the Data; Testing the Hypotheses; Summary and Conclusions; References; Part IV FOODWAYS Presents a collection of essays on plantation archaeology. This book surveys the research done throughout the American South and the Caribbean. It aims to guide advanced students and professional archaeologists. It is also useful for the students of the plantation system who seek to understand the byproducts associated with plantation settlement.