Colonial Forts in Archaeological Perspective

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Colonial Forts in Comparative, Global, and Contemporary Perspective", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Fortifications conjure images of defensive strongholds constructed by imperial forces to subjugate indigenous peoples politically, economically, and militarily. Yet because power always faces resistance, the success of Dutch, English, French, Russian, and Spanish efforts varied according to environmental conditions, competition with rivals, and relations with indigenous groups, among other factors. In this introductory paper we begin to lay the ground work for the archaeological study of colonial forts from the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries. We survey theoretical approaches and empirical data related to forts in comparative and global perspective and suggest that material and social variation has led to a wide range of interpretations and acts of remembrance in the contemporary world. We posit that archaeology can provide clarity to the study of colonial fortifications and contribute to the ways in which fortified settlements are imagined, commemorated, celebrated, and vilified by the profession and general public alike.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Colonial Forts in Comparative, Global, and Contemporary Perspective   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow