Food at the Furnace: Piecing Together the Working Class Foodways at Catoctin Furnace

Summary

The excavation of the Forgeman’s House, (Site 18FR1043), took place in 2016 in Thurmont, Maryland. Constructed in about 1821, this house has been interpreted as the dwelling of a laborer that worked at Catoctin Furnace. Artifacts that were uncovered included food wastes such as bones, seeds, nuts, corn cobs, and egg shells. Flotation samples taken from the site also yielded further evidence regarding food consumption. In addition to growing their own food, foraging, and trading, those that worked at the furnace would purchase many of their foodstuffs from the general store with the bill deducted directly from their wages. Four of the store ledgers have survived with detailed information regarding the various workers and their purchases. Using the archaeological evidence, store ledgers, and oral histories of descendants of the furnace workers, the foodways and consumption patterns of those that lived and worked at Catoctin Furnace can begin to take form. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• From Pages to Pits: Using Texts and Archaeological Evidence to Examine Interconnected Trading Networks in the mid-Atlantic   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 1071