Mid-19th-Century Irish-American Foodways in New York City: Evidence from the Five Points Site in Lower Manhattan

Summary

The Five Points Site was part of a multi-ethnic, working class neighbourhood located in lower Manhattan; the site was excavated by John Milner Associates in the 1990s. Claudia Milne and I identified and analysed the faunal remains from features associated with first generation Italian-Americans, Central European Jewish-Americans, and Irish-Americas. This presentation will focus on the faunal remains from the Irish-American contexts which date to the 1850s. Analyses based on species and body parts frequencies, as well as butchery patterns, suggest that these Irish immigrants were eating low-cost and moderately-priced meats, mostly pork and beef, that were purchased in markets. However, the ageing data for the pigs from the "Points" suggest that some pigs may also have been raised locally for home consumption.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Animals in the Urban Environment AD 1500 - 1900   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 358