Artificers & Armorers at the 1778-1779 Artillery Cantonment: New Insights from Experimental Archaeology

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Revisiting Revolutionary America" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Archaeological investigations in the 1980s revealed a remarkable complex of barracks, workshops, and other features at the 1778-1779 winter cantonment of the Continental Artillery at Pluckemin, NJ. Analysis of the collections has continued sporadically over the intervening years, but the use of new digital reconstructions and experimental archaeology has greatly strengthened and expanded interpretations. Most recently, a Colonial Williamsburg- EXARC Fellowship allowed the author to closely interact with and observe craftsmen in Williamsburg. Analyses of shop patterning and the replication of various activities not only enhanced the Pluckemin interpretation, but provide insights into the broader interpretation of archaeological features from similar sites. This presentation focuses on the blacksmith shops at Pluckemin, drawing on observation and experimentation at Williamsburg’s Anderson Forge and Armory complex.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Revisiting Revolutionary America   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2021

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology