Capitalism, Hobos, and the Gilded Age: An Archaeology of Communitization in the Inbetween

Summary

The years following the Civil War and leading up to the Great Depression are largely left out of archaeological discourse. Whether as a result of perceived temporal insignificance (it’s not old enough!), or the assumed ephemerality of such assemblages, peoples dispossessed of their homes as a result of the greatest crisis in modern capitalism have been forgotten in mainstream discourse and effectively ignored by archaeologists. A focus on capitalism within historical archaeology supports this period’s relevance, yet, a critique of capitalism wherein dispossessed persons, the communities they formed, and the landscapes they occupied remains negligible. So, by discussing ongoing excavations at a former hobo campsite (circa 1880-1940) north of Delta, PA, I ask the following: In what ways did hobos and similarly dispossessed persons utilize marginalized landscapes to facilitate alternative community formation? And, how did these communities manifest in relation to the nearby townships in which they sought temporary employment?

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions) 2017   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 557