Applying Contemporary Perspectives to New England Historical Archaeology

As the field of Historical Archaeology has changed since the first time the SHA pondered the «Questions that Count» in 1987, so too have the goals and practices of historical archaeology in New England changed. Not only have the techniques and technologies used in remote sensing, excavation, mapping, and artifact analysis become more advanced and powerful, but archaeologists have developed new kinds of questions and introduced novel theoretical perspectives to address their queries. Papers in this session consider the ways in which perspectives on Historical Archaeology developed in the past 35 years can be applied to the archaeological study of New England. Issues considered in this session include memory and heritage, personal and community identities, the creation of the urban landscape, and contemporary approaches to the people and practices of New England’s past.