Chemical Analysis Of Artifacts Related To The Chinese Diaspora In The American West

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Diverse and Enduring: Archaeology from Across the Asian Diaspora" , at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Excavations at historical Chinatowns and Chinese neighborhoods across the Western United States yield numerous artifacts that provide insights into the inhabitants’ daily lives. Often, however, time and exposure affect the artifacts in ways that obviate identification. For instance, remnants of original contents of bottles and jars can be altered by chemical processes such as oxidation, hydrolysis, or polymerization. To recognize the materials, chemical analyses, not unlike those used in forensic work, must be carried out. These also offer the possibility of elucidating the chemical composition of intact materials, leading to conclusions about their origins and uses.

Artifacts sent to our laboratory from Chinese sites often have medicinal or culinary origins and carry definitive cultural signatures. Traditional Chinese medicines, especially, are common among the artifacts recovered from locations across the West. In the present case, some interesting examples have been selected from sites in Idaho, Oregon, and California.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Diverse and Enduring: Archaeology from Across the Asian Diaspora   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology