Uncovering Mining Company Habitation Sites Through Public Archaeology

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.

In the late nineteenth century, members of the Chinese diaspora operated mining companies that occupied many gold-bearing deposits in Grant County, Oregon, including within the confines of the now Malheur National Forest. One of the many companies who leased claims was the Ah Yee Mining Company, operating in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Camps associated with this company are being researched and excavated by the Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project with community involvement. The work highlights miners in these camps and how their identities were constructed through relationships with the community and the material culture used. This project also aids in confronting misconceptions to present an accurate narrative of Chinese and Chinese American contributions to Oregon’s early history.

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