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An intrasite spatial analysis of the van Sweringen site, St. Mary's City, Maryland.
- Format:
- Book
- Thesis/Dissertation
- Author/Creator:
- King, Julie, 1934-
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Research.
- United States--History.
- United States.
- History.
- Archaeology.
- United States--Research.
- 0323.
- 0324.
- 0337.
- Penn dissertations--American civilization.
- American civilization--Penn dissertations.
- Local Subjects:
- Penn dissertations--American civilization.
- American civilization--Penn dissertations.
- 0323.
- 0324.
- 0337.
- Physical Description:
- 210 pages
- Contained In:
- Dissertation Abstracts International 51-12A.
- System Details:
- Mode of access: World Wide Web.
- text file
- Summary:
- The household is one of the basic settings for human social activity, and the study of this fundamental unit provides valuable insight concerning human interaction with the natural and social environments. The study of past households is especially important for examining these interactions through both time and space. Archaeological data constitute one of the most valuable and, often, one of the only sources of information about past households. Intrasite spatial analysis provides methods for examining the material content, structure and organization of past households but, unfortunately, many of these methods are limited in their utility for practical applications. Further, few models of household behavior in a spatial context have been developed. This dissertation addresses these problems by, (a) presenting a method of intrasite spatial analysis for use at historic period archaeological sites and, (b) developing a model of household behavior in a spatial context which is used to interpret the archaeological analysis.
- The focus of this analysis is the colonial Chesapeake house hold. Methods are developed for analyzing architectural, fence line, and secondary refuse midden data from the van Sweringen site, a late 17th century/early 18th century household and inn in St. Mary's City, Maryland. A model of household organization and behavior is developed through a review of contemporary and secondary historical sources from both England and the Chesapeake and from previous archaeological research conducted in the region. Further, a room-by-room inventory of van Sweringen's dwelling, taken in 1700, provides an important link between the more general historical model and the archaeological site.
- The analytical methods applied to the van Sweringen site reveal significant patterning in the archaeological record. This patterning is then linked to chronological, social, and functional variability suggested by the historical model. Manifestations of public and private space, building and room use, and social status are all clearly visible in the archaeological record at the van Sweringen site. This analysis not only has important implications for the study of colonial Chesapeake culture, it demonstrates that temporal, social and functional variation in a spatial context can be deciphered and interpreted from the archaeological record.
- Notes:
- Thesis (Ph.D. in American Civilization) -- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 1990.
- Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-12, Section: A, page: 4167.
- Supervisor: Robert L. Schuyler.
- Local Notes:
- School code: 0175.
- Access Restriction:
- Restricted for use by site license.
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