Uncovering the Covered Path: An Explanation of the Excavations of the Servant’s Pathway and Cryptoporticus at The Woodlands, West Philadelphia, PA.

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2022 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Landscapes are one aspect of a property that can be expanded, broken up, and altogether changed to suit the intended use. However, they can also be manipulated in such a way as to block, hide, and oppress those who move around that space. It is all too common a theme seen on historic properties where the enslaved, servants, and the workers are forced to move around behind the scenes in order to present an idealized viewshed.

The Woodlands Estate is no exception when discussing this use of landscape as a tool of oppression and power. Recent archaeological excavations uncovered the “Servants Path” a service system removed from sight of the visitors and residents to the Woodlands leading from the cryptoporticus to the stables. This poster aims to explain the use of manipulated landscapes at the Woodlands in order to understand the function of the Servant’s Path and Cryptoporticus.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• 2022 SHA Poster Submissions   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2022

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology