Space and Architecture: Historical Archaeology at the Eastern Pequot reservation

Summary

Prior to the devastating Pequot War of 1636, the Pequot people of modern day Connecticut were one unified nation. As a result of the conflict, there now exist two separate cultural groups, the Mashantucket Pequot and the Eastern Pequot. They experienced a trajectory throughout history that remained mostly parallel until modern times. My research examines some of their historic variations, particularly their architectural practices, and the timing of their transition to English-style framed houses. Much is already known about the Mashantucket transition, believed to have been complete by 1830; however, recent archaeological excavations at the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation Reservation from the 2015, 2013 and 2011 field seasons have the potential to shine new light on to what degree their architecture stylistically and functionally changed throughout reservation occupation. Through a direct comparison of Eastern Pequot architectural materials to contemporary English ones, I seek to understand the negotiation of Euro-American and Indigenous concepts of space and architecture on the Eastern Pequot reservation.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Exploring 12,000 Years of Occupation, Land Use, and Conflict: Archaeological and Historical Research Sponsored by the Mashantucket and Eastern Pequot Tribes

Keywords

Spatial Coverage