Forging the Way: An Analysis of Metallurgical Waste at Fort Ouiatenon

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Fort Ouiatenon, built in 1717, was the first French fur trade post established in present day Indiana. Over 100 kilograms of waste from pyrotechnological activities were excavated from an area believed to be related to a forge during the 1970’s. Historical documents identify the presence of a blacksmith at the fort, as well as the possible use of locally available coal and iron ore. Both metal trade goods and metalworking expertise were highly valued by Indigenous communities within the context of the fur trade. A combination of portable X-ray fluorescence, microscopy, and other analytical methods were used to identify characteristics of a sample of 20 waste artifacts in an effort to reconstruct blacksmithing and other activities at the site. Analysis of the metallurgical waste aims to understand more about metalworking activities within Fort Ouiatenon, as well as the impacts of colonial metallurgical processes within the Midwest during the 18th century.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023   •
• 2023 SHA Poster Submissions

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow