Narratives of the Past: Positioning Modern Memory in a Historic Context
Author(s): Kelly Goldberg
Year: 2013
Summary
The field of historical archaeology is uniquely situated with simultaneous access to both past and present. Beyond analysis of material remains, researchers frequently take advantage of oral accounts to gain a more holistic understanding of past events. However, even when such accounts are not available from direct descendants, the possible use of oral histories in research should not be immediately discounted. Through investigations of a historic habitation in Charleston, South Carolina, this paper considers the intersection of community interpretation and archaeological excavation. While recent research suggests that the current property owners may not be directly descended from the historic occupants, they nonetheless feel a connection to the land and its past. Can their reflections, influenced by personal experiences with the landscape, help to bridge the gap between past and present and offer a valuable perspective for site interpretation?
Cite this Record
Narratives of the Past: Positioning Modern Memory in a Historic Context. Kelly Goldberg. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Leicester, England, U.K. 2013 ( tDAR id: 428533)
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Keywords
General
Community
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Landscape
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Memory
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
Historic
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 626