Flat Ontologies, Identity and Space at Carolina Forts

Author(s): Charles R. Cobb

Year: 2016

Summary

English forts in the Carolina colony embody the ongoing struggle between the ambitions of imperial impositions and the aspirations of frontier autonomy. This tension is acutely reflected in the spatial organization of forts. Whereas colonial authorities sought to separate Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans through the formal segregation of the built environment, life on the frontier encouraged a fluidity in space and identity. The theoretical construct of flat ontologies can be used to explore how frontier forts were a catalyst for complex and emergent spatial relations that subverted hierarchical space. Archaeological data from early-eighteenth century forts on the Carolina frontier exemplify the connective processes of flat ontologies that blurred space and identity.

Cite this Record

Flat Ontologies, Identity and Space at Carolina Forts. Charles R. Cobb. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434426)

Keywords

Temporal Keywords
Colonial

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): 230