From Perfume to Poison: A Reflection of Women in the Archaeological Assemblage of Philadelphia

Summary

This is a paper/report submission presented at the 2020 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Although material used by women and girls is undoubtedly part of almost all archaeological assemblages, specific interpretations of their daily lives can be difficult to parse out. However, archaeologists can turn to material culture that specifically speaks to the lives of women to better understand their experiences. During excavations of the I-95/Girard Avenue Interchange Project in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia, AECOM archaeologists have recovered several artifacts that shed light on the daily lives of women and girls in the mid-19th Century. This paper will explore how concrete evidence of the womens’ sphere is shown in the archaeological record and discuss key artifacts that help archaeologists understand the values instilled in young girls and adult women in regards to beauty and appearance, household expectations, and the autonomy women had over their bodies.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2020 SHA General Sessions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2020

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 435