The Archaeology of Forts and Battlefields

The Archaeology of Forts and Battlefields PDF Author: David R. Starbuck
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813044149
Category : Archaeology and history
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Forts and battlefields embody activities and locations where nations have come into conflict and where victory or defeat has determined the shape of modern American society. This book discusses some of the most dynamic archaeological projects that have been conducted at many of the most exciting forts and battlefields throughout the United States. David Starbuck discusses the history of American military conflicts and the techniques used for locating and documenting forts and battlefields. He addresses how archaeologists use modern scientific techniques to discover the remains of forts, battlefields, and other types of military encampments, as well as some of the problems encountered when dealing with human remains found at military sites. Referencing both terrestrial and underwater examples, Starbuck uses case studies from major North American military conflicts to explain how forensic anthropology has helped greatly in assigning "identity" to some of the forgotten soldiers and how archaeology has helped to protect sites and improve the accuracy of the reconstruction of forts and battlefields. Having directed excavations at several major military sites, and having visited many of the sites detailed in his book, Starbuck is able to provide a personal perspective on what survives of these forts and battlefields today and what they tell us about our past.

The Archaeology of Forts and Battlefields

The Archaeology of Forts and Battlefields PDF Author: David R. Starbuck
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813044149
Category : Archaeology and history
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book

Book Description
Forts and battlefields embody activities and locations where nations have come into conflict and where victory or defeat has determined the shape of modern American society. This book discusses some of the most dynamic archaeological projects that have been conducted at many of the most exciting forts and battlefields throughout the United States. David Starbuck discusses the history of American military conflicts and the techniques used for locating and documenting forts and battlefields. He addresses how archaeologists use modern scientific techniques to discover the remains of forts, battlefields, and other types of military encampments, as well as some of the problems encountered when dealing with human remains found at military sites. Referencing both terrestrial and underwater examples, Starbuck uses case studies from major North American military conflicts to explain how forensic anthropology has helped greatly in assigning "identity" to some of the forgotten soldiers and how archaeology has helped to protect sites and improve the accuracy of the reconstruction of forts and battlefields. Having directed excavations at several major military sites, and having visited many of the sites detailed in his book, Starbuck is able to provide a personal perspective on what survives of these forts and battlefields today and what they tell us about our past.

The Legacy of Fort William Henry

The Legacy of Fort William Henry PDF Author: David R. Starbuck
Publisher: University Press of New England
ISBN: 1611685478
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 143

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Book Description
Fort William Henry, America's early frontier fort at the southern end of Lake George, New York, was a flashpoint for conflict between the British and French empires in America. The fort is perhaps best known as the site of a massacre of British soldiers by Native Americans allied with the French that took place in 1757. Over the past decade, new and exciting archeological findings, in tandem with modern forensic methods, have changed our view of life at the fort prior to the massacre, by providing physical evidence of the role that Native Americans played on both sides of the conflict. Intertwining recent revelations with those of the past, Starbuck creates a lively narrative beginning with the earliest Native American settlement on Lake George. He pays special attention to the fort itself: its reconstruction in the 1950s, the major discoveries of the 1990s, and the archeological disclosures of the past few years. He further discusses the importance of forensic anthropology in uncovering the secrets of the past, reviews key artifacts discovered at the fort, and considers the relevance of Fort William Henry and its history in the twenty-first century. Three appendixes treat exhibits since the 1950s; foodways; and General Daniel Webb's surrender letter of August 17, 1757.

The Historical Archaeology of Military Sites

The Historical Archaeology of Military Sites PDF Author: Clarence Raymond Geier
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 1603442073
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 294

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Book Description
The recent work of anthropologists, historians, and historical archaeologists has changed the very essence of military history. While once preoccupied with great battles and the generals who commanded the armies and employed the tactics, military history has begun to emphasize the importance of the “common man” for interpreting events. As a result, military historians have begun to see military forces and the people serving in them from different perspectives. The Historical Archaeology of Military Sites has encouraged efforts to understand armies as human communities and to address the lives of those who composed them. Tying a group of combatants to the successes and failures of their military commanders leads to a failure to understand such groups as distinct social units and, in some instances, self-supporting societies: structured around a defined social and political hierarchy; regulated by law; needing to be supplied and nurtured; and often at odds with the human community whose lands they occupied, be they those of friend or foe. The Historical Archaeology of Military Sites will afford students, professionals dealing with military sites, and the interested public examples of the latest techniques and proven field methods to aid understanding and conservation of these vital pieces of the world’s heritage.

The Archaeology of French and Indian War Frontier Forts

The Archaeology of French and Indian War Frontier Forts PDF Author: Lawrence E. Babits
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813048583
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
Fort Ticonderoga, the allegedly impenetrable star fort at the southern end of Lake Champlain, is famous for its role in the French and Indian War. But many other one-of-a-kind forts were instrumental in staking out the early American colonial frontier. On the 250th anniversary of this often-overlooked conflict, this volume musters an impressive range of scholars who tackle the lesser-known but nonetheless historically significant sites from barracks to bastions. Civilian, provincial, or imperial, the fortifications covered in this book range from South Carolina's Fort Prince George to Fort Frontenac in Ontario and to Fort de Chartres in Illinois. These forts were built during the first serious arms race on the continent, as Europeans and colonists struggled to control the lucrative fur trade routes of the northern boundary. The contributors to this volume reveal how the French and British adapted their fortification techniques to the special needs of the North American frontier. By exploring the unique structures that guarded the borderlands, this book reveals much about the underlying economies and dynamics of the broader conflict that defined a critical period of the American experience.

The Line of Forts

The Line of Forts PDF Author: Michael D. Coe
Publisher: UPNE
ISBN: 9781584655428
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 252

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Book Description
A fascinating analysis of artifacts that illuminates relationships among the English, French, and Indians at a critical moment in American history

From These Honored Dead

From These Honored Dead PDF Author: Clarence R. Geier
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813048923
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 333

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Book Description
Presenting the best current archaeological scholarship on the American Civil War, From These Honored Dead shows how historical archaeology can uncover the facts beneath the many myths and conflicting memories of the war that have been passed down through generations. By incorporating the results of archaeological investigations, the essays in this volume shed new light on many aspects of the Civil War. Topics include soldier life in camp and on the battlefield, defense mechanisms such as earthworks construction, the role of animals during military operations, and a refreshing focus on the conflict in the Trans-Mississippi West. Supplying a range of methods and exciting conclusions, this book displays the power of archaeology in interpreting this devastating period in U.S. history.

Archaeology of the War of 1812

Archaeology of the War of 1812 PDF Author: Michael T. Lucas
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315433672
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 315

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Book Description
This is the first summary of how archaeology has contributed to our understanding of the War of 1812. The contributors of original papers discuss recent excavations and field surveys that present an archaeological perspective that enriches,—and often conflicts with, received historical narratives. The studies cover fortifications, encampments, landscapes, shipwrecks, and battles in the midwestern, southern, mid-atlantic, and northeastern regions of the United States and in Canada. In addition to archaeologists, this volume will appeal to military history specialists and other historians.

First Forts

First Forts PDF Author: Eric Klingelhofer
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004187324
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
The first comparative study of proto-colonial fortifications, First Forts comprises essays written by leading archaeologists that address the questions of how European first defended themselves overseas and to what degree they adapted to local conditions.

Archaeological Perspectives on the American Civil War

Archaeological Perspectives on the American Civil War PDF Author: Clarence R. Geier
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780813026510
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448

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Book Description
"An impressive compendium of varying but related methods of understanding the war through historical archaeology. Readers willing to expend some effort will come away with a better understanding of the Civil War."--Civil War Book Review "Geier and Potter deliver a great book that includes archaeological fieldwork, site type diversity, and theoretical perspectives, which provide something for every reader. The authors' contributions vividly convey the battles and effects on the civilian population from participant soldier, prisoner, caregiver, commercial, and civilian perspectives. Connections between contemporary life and Civil War events are made easily here. These connections and extensive use of primary historical sources make the book an excellent undergraduate and graduate text."--Southeastern Archaeology From the introduction: "Archaeological Perspectives on the American Civil War is must reading for professionals, collectors, and all people interested in battlefield archaeology, the material culture of the Civil War era, and the preservation of associated sites. Because of the popularity of Civil War literature and archaeology, this well-illustrated and well-written publication will appeal to the general public, as well as to the professional community."--Edwin C. Bearss, historian emeritus, National Park Service "Speaks to the carnage of war, figuratively and literally, as each author [investigates] the physical evidence of the war and its ramifications to those living at the time and in our culture today. There is little question that the American Civil War changed the fabric of our culture in ways that are still being felt today, and this volume provides a real and tangible link, via the material culture left behind by its participants, to that time."--Douglas D. Scott, Midwest Archaeology Center, Lincoln, Nebraska From studies of Antietam Battlefield, site of the bloodiest day in American military history, to Andersonville, the infamous Confederate prison, these graphically illustrated essays broaden our understanding of the American Civil War. They demonstrate how historical archaeology, combined with the traditional techniques of the study of history, generates new insights into battlefield tactics, social and military history, and the effects of the war on civilians and communities. The paperback edition includes a new foreword by award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer. Contents Introduction, by Edwin C. Bearss "To Peel This Land," by Clarence R. Geier and Stephen R. Potter Part I. Tactics and the Conduct of Battle 1. "No Maneuvering and Very Little Tactics": Archaeology and the Battle of Brawner Farm, by Stephen R. Potter, Robert C. Sonderman, Marian C. Creveling, and Susannah L. Dean 2. The Submarine H. L. Hunley: Confederate Innovation and Southern Icon, by Steven D. Smith 3. Fortifying the Landscape: An Archaeological Study of Military Engineering and the Atlanta Campaign, by Robert J. Fryman 4. An Irishman Dies at Antietam: An Archaeology of the Individual, by Stephen R. Potter and Douglas W. Owsley 5. The Battle of Cool Spring, July 16-20, 1864, by Joseph Whitehorne and Clarence R. Geier Part II. The Home Front and Military Life 6. "For the Convenience and Comforts of the Soldiers and Employees at the Depot": Archaeology of the Owens' House/Post Office Complex, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, by W. Stephen McBride, Susan C. Andrews, and Sean P. Coughlin 7. Defending the Capital: The Civil War Garrison at Fort C. F. Smith, by Joseph Balicki 8. The Sheridan Field Hospital, Winchester, Virginia, 1864, by Joseph W. A. Whitehorne, Clarence R. Geier, and Warren R. Hofstra 9. Far from the Battlefield: Archaeology at Andersonville Prison, by Guy Prentice and Marie C. Prentice 10. Antietam: The Cultural Impact of Battle on an Agrarian Landscape, by Elise Manning-Sterling 11. "Four Years of Hell": Domestic Life in Harpers Ferry during the Civil War, by Paul A. Shackel 12. "The Colored Laborers Work as Well as When Slaves": African Americans in the Breadbasket of the Confederacy, 1850-1880, by Kenneth E. Koons 13. "Free within Ourselves": African American Landscapes at Manassas National Battlefield Park, by Laura J. Galke 14. Battling beyond First and Second Manassas: Perseverance on a Free African American Farm Site, by Erika K. Martin Seibert and Mia Parsons Part III. New Methods and Techniques 15. The Archaeology of Retreat: Systematic Metal Detector Survey and Information System Analysis at the Battlefield of Chickamauga, September 1863, by John E. Cornelison, Jr. 16. Surveying the Civil War: Methodological Approaches at Antietam Battlefield, by Bruce B. Sterling and Bernard W. Slaughter 17. Archaeological Interpretations of the Battle of Antietam through Analysis of Small Arms Projectiles, by Bruce B. Sterling 18. Double the Cannister and Give 'Em Hell: Artillery at Antietam, by Jeffrey Harbison Clarence R. Geier, professor of anthropology at James Madison University, is coeditor of Look to the Earth: Historical Archaeology and the American Civil War. He has directed and collaborated on historical archaeology projects at the battlefields of Third Winchester, Cool Spring, and Cedar Creek and has conducted research at the site of the Sheridan Field Hospital. His most recent work has focused on the interpretation of the Confederate military complex of Fort Edward Johnson/Camp Shenandoah in Augusta County, Virginia. Stephen R. Potter, regional archaeologist with the National Park Service for the National Capital Region, has overseen archaeological research at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Manassas National Battlefield Park, and Antietam National Battlefield. His work was featured on "Death at Antietam," a television program produced by the Learning Channel. He is the author of Commoners, Tribute, and Chiefs: The Development of Algonquian Culture in the Potomac Valley.

Conflict Archaeology, Historical Memory, and the Experience of War

Conflict Archaeology, Historical Memory, and the Experience of War PDF Author: Mark Axel Tveskov
Publisher: University Press of Florida
ISBN: 0813070309
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 297

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Book Description
Countering dominant narratives of conflict through attention to memory and trauma This volume presents approaches to the archaeology of war that move beyond the forensic analysis of battlefields, fortifications, and other sites of conflict to consider the historical memory, commemoration, and social experience of war. Leading scholars offer critical insights that challenge the dominant narratives about landscapes of war from throughout the history of North American settler colonialism. Grounded in the empirical study of fields of conflict, these essays extend their scope to include a commitment to engaging local Indigenous and other descendant communities and to illustrating how public memories of war are actively and politically constructed. Contributors examine conflicts including the battle of Chikasha, King Philip’s War, the 1694 battle at Guadalupe Mesa, the Rogue River War, the Dakota-U.S. War of 1862, and a World War II battle on the island of Saipan. Studies also investigate the site of the Schenectady Massacre of 1690 and colonial posts staffed by Black soldiers. Chapters discuss how prevailing narratives often minimized the complexity of these conflicts, smoothed over the contradictions and genocidal violence of colonialism, and erased the diversity of the participants. This volume demonstrates that the collaborative practice of conflict archaeology has the potential to reveal the larger meanings, erased voices, and lingering traumas of war. A volume in the series Cultural Heritage Studies, edited by Paul A. Shackel