Artifacts in the Archives: Material Culture Curated Within Milwaukee County Coroner’s Inquests

Summary

Historical archaeologists expect to encounter artifacts in the field or lab, but may not anticipate uncovering them in the library. While conducting research on individuals buried in the Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery, the author came across a diverse assortment of material culture associated with the coroner’s inquests curated at the Milwaukee County Historical Society Research Library.  This paper will describe the various items uncovered including photographs, clothing samples, personal items, and handwritten letters as well as discuss how this material culture contributes to burial identification and the construction of personal narratives for the disenfranchised and forgotten individuals buried in this potter’s field. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2018   •
• The Red Shoes: Toward a Materialized Relationship Between the Living and the Dead

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Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 368