Revisiting Root Cellars at The Hermitage, Davidson County, Tennessee.

Summary

The Hermitage, a plantation owned by Andrew Jackson near Nashville, Tennessee, has been the site of archaeological investigations since the 1970s. Much of this work has focused on the large enslaved community living at the site, with the study of the remnants of their dwellings a key element of this research. Sub-floor storage pits, generally referred to as root cellars, have been found at nine Hermitage slave dwelling locations. These features are present in all three of the separate quartering areas at the site and in association with the two distinct time periods of dwelling construction. This paper will examine the range of consistency and variation in the root cellars present at The Hermitage. The discussion will also focus on the original and evolving interpretations of such features by archaeological researchers working in the eastern United States.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• The Past, Present, and Future of Archaeological Research at The Hermitage: Legacies of Larry McKee and Sam Smith

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 253