Exploring Female and Male Ideals, Roles, and Activities at a Colonial through Civil War Landscape at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, North Carolina

Summary

In the southeastern portion of North Carolina, near the Cape Fear inlet, Fort Anderson was once a protecting force upheld by Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War.  Previous excavations at a specific encampment inside of Fort Anderson provided artifacts that were once assigned to females' activities.  These artifacts have been deemed quixotic due to the gender restrictions of the fortress.  This presentation examines if and how researchers could tell whether males assumed female gender assigned tasks, or if females did interact with the soldiers at the encampment.  Also considered will be artifacts potentially associated with gender ideals, roles, and activities recovered from two colonial households associated with Brunswick Town that were located beneath the Fort Anderson encampment.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Off the Public Walkways: Expanding Interpretations of a a Colonial Era Town and Civil War Fort at Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 64