Meaningful Choices: An Archaeology of Selective Engagement on the 19th Century Irish Coast

Summary

This research explores the nature of marginality on the periphery of the British Empire.  The edges of empires are shifting, culturally-negotiated borders with the capacity to disclose important information about social networks and cultural change.  Households in these places are subject to transnational processes and make choices which demonstrate the presence and connections with broader global networks of economic and social access.  This project focuses on the ramifications of national agendas through adjusted and altered processes on the local scale.  It draws on material culture and architectural remains of several 18th and 19th century households on two islands, Inishark and Inishbofin, off the western Irish coast in order to understand this selective engagement in transnational systems and the specific reactions to prescribed rules and regulations generated from the imperial epicenter.  The archaeological remains reflect these selections and degree of dedication to national ideologies and reflect shrewd and discerning decision-making processes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Life on the Edge: Past and Present Perceptions of People on the Margins   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 713