The Archaeology of Class in Urban America


Book Description

An engaging study which looks at archaeological, documentary and environmental evidence to explore the factors determining class identity.




The Archaeology of American Cities


Book Description

"Unrivaled in scope. An essential work for urban historical archaeologists."--Adrian Praetzellis, author of Dug to Death "An engaging and astonishingly comprehensive work that reveals just how much our knowledge of America's cities and the lives of city dwellers has been enriched through urban archaeology."--Mary C. Beaudry, coeditor of Archaeologies of Mobility and Movement American cities have been built, altered, redeveloped, destroyed, reimagined, and rebuilt for nearly 300 years in order to accommodate growing and shrinking populations and their needs. Urban archaeology is a unique subfield with its own peculiar challenges and approaches to fieldwork. Understanding the social forces that influenced the development of American cities requires more than digging; it calls for the ability to extrapolate from limited data, an awareness of the dynamics that drive urban development, and theories that can build bridges to connect the two. At the forefront of this exciting field of research, Nan Rothschild and Diana Wall are well suited to introduce this fascinating topic to a broad readership. Following a brief introduction, the authors offer specific case studies of work undertaken in New York, Philadelphia, Tucson, West Oakland, and many other cities. Ideal for undergraduates, The Archaeology of American Cities utilizes the material culture of the past to highlight recurring themes that reflect distinctive characteristics of urban life in the United States.




Rapport sur la situation de l'archéologie urbaine en Europe


Book Description

A collection of reports on the situation of urban archaeology in 22 European countries. All the reports of the situation in the seperate countries give amongst others attention to definitions of urban archaeology, to previous research, databases, maps and evaluation techniques in the field, to the legal framework, financial support and numbers, status and qualifications of those who work in urban archaeology, to the balance between preservation and use, the contribution of urban archaeology to education and the understanding of the historic environment. The book is the result of decisions made during the 3th International Conference of Ministers responsible for the cultural heritage, held in Malta in 1992, where the revised European Convention on the protection of the Archaeological Heritage was signed. To promote the implementation of this convention the ministers recommend a number of actions which together might form a 'European Archaeology'. This handbook was one of those actions.




Untimely Ruins


Book Description

American ruins have become increasingly prominent, whether in discussions of “urban blight” and home foreclosures, in commemorations of 9/11, or in postapocalyptic movies. In this highly original book, Nick Yablon argues that the association between American cities and ruins dates back to a much earlier period in the nation’s history. Recovering numerous scenes of urban desolation—from failed banks, abandoned towns, and dilapidated tenements to the crumbling skyscrapers and bridges envisioned in science fiction and cartoons—Untimely Ruins challenges the myth that ruins were absent or insignificant objects in nineteenth-century America. The first book to document an American cult of the ruin, Untimely Ruins traces its deviations as well as derivations from European conventions. Unlike classical and Gothic ruins, which decayed gracefully over centuries and inspired philosophical meditations about the fate of civilizations, America’s ruins were often “untimely,” appearing unpredictably and disappearing before they could accrue an aura of age. As modern ruins of steel and iron, they stimulated critical reflections about contemporary cities, and the unfamiliar kinds of experience they enabled. Unearthing evocative sources everywhere from the archives of amateur photographers to the contents of time-capsules, Untimely Ruins exposes crucial debates about the economic, technological, and cultural transformations known as urban modernity. The result is a fascinating cultural history that uncovers fresh perspectives on the American city.




The Archaeology of Urban Landscapes


Book Description

A 2001 investigation of the historical archaeology of urban slums, including eleven case studies.




Charleston


Book Description

This book weaves archaeology and history to illuminate this vibrant, densely packed Atlantic port city. It details the residential, commercial, and public life of the city, the ruins of taverns, markets, and townhouses, including those of Thomas Heyward, shipping merchant Nathaniel Russell, and William Aiken.




Archaeology of Urban America


Book Description

Archaeology of Urban America: The Search for Pattern and Process is composed of three parts, namely, Strategies and Methods; Site Formation, Structure, and Pattern; and Artifact Analysis and Interpretation. The Strategies and Methods section centers on the general questions asked by urban archaeologists, as well as on the ways they design their research to elucidate those questions. The Site Formation, Structure, and Pattern section is generally comprised of chapters classified as ""test cases"" emphasizing the approaches, interpretation, and even direct extension of larger research designs. Lastly, the Artifact Analysis and Interpretation section deals with intersite and intrasite patterning of artifact assemblages, as well as with specific class of artifacts. This material will help stimulate a dialogue among archaeologists who have chosen the American city as their subject. This book will also be useful to urban sociologists, economists, cultural anthropologists, and historians.




Urban Archaeology, Municipal Government and Local Planning


Book Description

Improving the relationship between archaeology and local government represents one of the next great challenges facing archaeology –specifically archaeology done in urban settings. Not only does local government have access to powerful legal tools and policy mechanisms that can offer protection for privately owned archaeological sites, but because local government exists at the grassroots level, it is also often closer to people who have deep knowledge about the community itself, about its values, and about the local meaning of the sites most in need of protection. This partnership between archaeology and local government can also provide visibility and public programing for heritage sites. This book will explore the experiences, both positive and negative, of small and large cities globally. We have examined programs in the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly known as the British Commonwealth) and in the United States. These countries share similar perspectives on preservation and heritage, although the approaches these cities have taken to address municipal archaeology reveals considerable diversity. The case studies highlight how these innovative partnerships have developed, and explain how they function within local government. Engaging with the political sphere to advocate for and conduct archaeology requires creativity, flexibility, and the ability to develop collaborative partnerships. How these archaeological partnerships benefit the community is a vital part of the equation. Heritage and tourist benefits are discussed. Economic challenges during downturns in the economy are analyzed. The book also examines public outreach programs and the grassroots efforts to protect and preserve a community's archaeological heritage.




Archaeology in Latin America


Book Description

This pioneering and comprehensive survey is the first overview of current themes in Latin American archaeology written solely by academics native to the region, and it makes their collected expertise available to an English-speaking audience for the first time. The contributors cover the most significant issues in the archaeology of Latin America, such as the domestication of camelids, the emergence of urban society in Mesoamerica, the frontier of the Inca empire, and the relatively little known archaeology of the Amazon basin. This book draws together key areas of research in Latin American archaeological thought into a coherent whole; no other volume on this area has ever dealt with such a diverse range of subjects, and some of the countries examined have never before been the subject of a regional study.




Charleston


Book Description

Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the most storied cities of the American South. Well known for its historic buildings and landscape, its thriving maritime culture, and its role in the beginning of the American Civil War, many consider it the birthplace of historic preservation. In Charleston, Martha Zierden and Elizabeth Reitz—whose archaeological fieldwork in the city spans more than three decades—reveal a vibrant, densely packed city, where people, animals, and colonial activity carried on in close proximity. Examining animal bones and the ruins of taverns, markets, townhouses, and smaller homes, the authors consider the residential, commercial, and public life of the city and the dynamics of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services that linked it with rural neighbors and global markets. From early attempts at settlement and cattle ranching to the Denmark Vesey insurrection and efforts to improve the city’s drinking water, Zierden and Reitz explore the evolution of the urban environment, the intricacies of provisioning such a unique city, and the urban foodways and cuisine that continue to inspire Charleston’s culinary scene even today.