From Buried Floor to Missing Roof: Using Archaeology to understand the Architecture of an Late 19th/Early 20th Century Vernacular Irish Cabin.

Tamara Schlossenberg

From Buried Floor to Missing Roof: Using Archaeology to understand the Architecture of an Late 19th/Early 20th Century Vernacular Irish Cabin.

Year: 2019

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Meaning in Material Culture" session, at the 2019 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Often less studied than more standardized forms, the vernacular architecture of Ireland’s rural poor provides valuable information to understanding rural life in the periods following the Great Famine. The author conducted an architectural study during a five-week archaeological investigation of a late 19th/early 20th century cabin, under the direction of Dr. Stephen Brighton in Lackaghane, Co. Cork, Ireland. Architectural data was recorded through measured drawings, photogrammetry, general observation, and through the process of archaeology. Studying the architectural data alongside archaeological data, particularly the special distribution of finds and features, creates a more wholistic view of how the cabin space was used and gives insights into the daily life of rural Ireland around the turn of the 20th century. The author hopes this paper will enhance the current understanding of Irish vernacular architecture and its relationship to historic archaeology.

Cite this Record

From Buried Floor to Missing Roof: Using Archaeology to understand the Architecture of an Late 19th/Early 20th Century Vernacular Irish Cabin.. Tamara Schlossenberg. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, St. Charles, MO. 2019 ( tDAR id: 449163)