Using Collections for Trans-Atlantic Studies: A Case Study in the Spanish Atlantic

Summary

For decades, archaeologists working throughout the Spanish Atlantic have excavated a wide variety of sites. Today, the artifacts from these excavations are stored in museums and at universities throughout Spain, the Caribbean, and the Americas.  Because it can be difficult to locate and access appropriate collections, these artifacts are often overlooked or undervalued. In many cases, however, the collections have an extremely high research potential and are invaluable for conducting trans-Atlantic comparisons and looking at broad-scale questions such as trade and cultural exchange. Furthermore, studying existing collections can save both time and money and is often more feasible than excavating new sites when attempting to conduct inter-regional comparisons. Using research conducted on collections from St. Augustine, Florida and Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, I will show how reevaluating existing collections can provide a wealth of information for a trans-Atlantic study of 18th-century household sites on two continents.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• No Longer Forgotten: Successful Academic Research Drawn from Rehabilitated Collections   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 488