Beyond Guns, Soldiers, and Palisades: The Archaeology of Fort St. Joseph on the Frontier of New France

Summary

Fort St. Joseph, an 18th-century French mission, garrison, and trading post complex, served as an important hub for colonial relations in the western Great Lakes region. Dominated primarily by exchange activities, the fort brought Native peoples and French colonists into close interactions with significant material implications. Archaeological evidence gathered through excavations at Fort St. Joseph suggests the emergence of a fur trade society marked by mutual influence that led to complex social identities. This paper will examine Fort St. Joseph beyond its military role to explore how it was a catalyst for social, economic, and religious changes at the edge of the French empire.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014   •
• More than Ramparts and Redoubts: Forts and Families of New France

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-21,05