Scalar Analysis of Early 19th century Household Assemblages—Focus on Communities of the African Atlantic

Summary

Recent research on early 19th-century slave households at James Madison’s Montpelier in Virginia has focused on comparative household assemblage analysis on a number of levels including the local (between households within a single community), region (households within a market region), and the Atlantic (comparison of households between Jamaica and the Chesapeake).  An important element in this comparative household analysis is scalar analysis.  Scalar analysis is an analytical tool that allows archaeologists to find the most effective scale to explain patterns of material culture—whether it be at the local or Atlantic level.   By addressing similarities and differences between household assemblages, scalar analysis allows researchers to contextualize patterns observed between individual household contexts.  This paper will examine how household comparisons made at a multi-scalar level can facilitate interpretation of past human behavior especially in regard to household market choices within a larger community framework.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Tearing Down Walls: The Architecture of Household Archaeology   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 683