Stitched in Time: Mary Beaudry’s influence on the study of small finds

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "“Historical Archaeology with Canon on the Side, Please”: In Honor of Mary C. Beaudry (1950-2020)" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

From her work on Spencer-Peirce-Little House to her groundbreaking publication Findings, Mary Beaudry’s focus on small finds has influenced a generation of scholars. Because small finds, such as artifacts of clothing and needlework, are relatively uncommon in most archaeological sites, such artifacts tend to receive cursory attention in archaeological analysis as their presumed function is seemingly well-known: a straight pin is used for sewing. In her work, however, Beaudry rejected that common interpretation and she took a deeper look into this artifact category to illuminate nuanced and intensely personal stories that could be found in just a simple item, such as a straight pin. Through her work, Beaudry stitched together a new community of scholars interested in small finds related to clothing and sewing. In this paper, I provide just a brief overview of Mary Beaudry’s impact (and wit) in the study of small finds within historical archaeology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• “Historical Archaeology with Canon on the Side, Please”: In Honor of Mary C. Beaudry (1950-2020)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology