Fort St. Joseph Revealed: The Historical Archaeology of a Fur Trading Post
ISBN: 9780813057125
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / University Press of Florida
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter



"Details over two decades of community archaeology at one of the most important French colonial forts of the Great Lakes region. Nassaney and his collaborators employ documentary and material perspectives to bring to life this strategic place, presenting new, thought-provoking information to those interested in colonial history and French and American Indian heritage."--Douglas C. Wilson, coeditor of Exploring Fort Vancouver "Provides thoughtful analysis of detailed data on a number of topics that will be invaluable for historical archaeologists working on similar sites."--Elizabeth M. Scott, editor of Archaeological Perspectives on the French in the New World Fort St. Joseph Revealed is the first synthesis of archaeological and documentary data on one of the most important French colonial outposts in the western Great Lakes region. Located in what is now Michigan, Fort St. Joseph was home to a flourishing fur trade society from the 1680s to 1781. The site--lost for centuries--was discovered in 1998 by volume editor Michael Nassaney and his colleagues, who summarize their extensive excavations at the fort and surrounding areas in these essays.Contributors analyze material evidence including animal bones, lead seals, and smudge pits to reconstruct the foodways, architectural traditions, crafts, trade, and hide processing methods of the fur trade. They discuss the complex relationship between the French traders and local Native populations, who relied on each other for survival and forged various links across their communities. Featuring a thought-provoking look at the award-winning public archaeology program at the site, this volume will inspire researchers with the potential of community-based service learning initiatives that tap into the analytical power at the interface of history and archaeology. Contributors: Rory J. Becker | Kelley M. Berliner | José António Brandão | Cathrine Davis | Erica A. D'Elia | Brock Giordano, RPA | Joseph Hearns | Allison Hoock | Mark W. Hoock | Erika Hartley | Terrance J. Martin | Eric Teixeira Mendes | Michael S. Nassaney | Susan K. Reichert
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