Moravian Travels through the "spirit’s nest": Archaeology of Colonialism at Madame Montour’s Otstonwakin

Summary

In 1741, Moravians, a sect of German pietists established a settlement in Pennsylvania which became the principal religious and administrative center for the Moravian Church in North America. Moravian missionaries soon traveled to nearby Native American communities including Otstonwakin, a 18th century multinational village along the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Madame Montour served as a frontier diplomat and go-between at Otstonwakin and hosted a succession of visitors into her home including several Moravian missionaries. Moravians sought to have Otstonwakin become an important part of the mission structure in the region and describe it as the "spirit’s nest", a place where evil spirits were thought to be present. This paper examines 18th century colonial encounters through the maps, diaries, and travel accounts left by Moravians who sought to proselytize to Native Americans at Otstonwakin.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17529