Arrggghhh Braaaaiiiins: The Zooarchaeology of a Mid-19th Century Privy in New Orleans’ Historic French Quarter

Author(s): Helen V. Bouzon; J. Ryan Kennedy

Year: 2018

Summary

In this paper we present analysis of faunal remains recovered from a mid-19th century privy at 936 St. Peter Street, an archaeological site in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter. Although the faunal assemblage includes domestic trash related to meals eaten by the site occupants, it is dominated by a tremendous number of caprine cranial elements. These cranial bones show a consistent butchery pattern indicating that site occupants were harvesting caprine brains in large numbers, presumably for use in animal hide tanning. The 936 St. Peter Street faunal assemblage thus provides an unusual opportunity to examine a household-level craft industry in early New Orleans. We discuss the data from the site in relation to hide production, and we highlight New Orleans’ importance in the local, regional, and international trade of animal hides.

Cite this Record

Arrggghhh Braaaaiiiins: The Zooarchaeology of a Mid-19th Century Privy in New Orleans’ Historic French Quarter. Helen V. Bouzon, J. Ryan Kennedy. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, New Orleans, Louisiana. 2018 ( tDAR id: 441417)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 475