Deciphering Ornamental Landscapes at Monticello
Author(s): Beatrix Arendt; John G. Jones; Derek Wheeler; Crystal L. Ptacek; Fraser Neiman
Year: 2016
Summary
Pollen data can serve as valuable evidence to advance our understanding of change and spatial variation in the landscape of Thomas Jefferson's Monticello from its initial European settlement in the 18th century to the present. The data presented in this paper draws from a multi-year campaign of stratigraphic sampling conducted in the largely ornamental mountaintop landscape immediately surrounding Jefferson's mansion. Comparing these data to stratigraphic samples collected away from the mountaintop allows us to measure the distinctiveness of trajectories of change in ornamental and agricultural contexts. We suggest that Jefferson's varied landscaping activities created unique but continually evolving niches on the mountaintop which both humans and plants exploited.
Cite this Record
Deciphering Ornamental Landscapes at Monticello. Beatrix Arendt, John G. Jones, Derek Wheeler, Crystal L. Ptacek, Fraser Neiman. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434442)
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Keywords
General
historical ecology
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Monticello
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Pollen
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
18th Century
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): 695