Living with the Dead: Mortuary Patterning at Halifax’s Old Burying Ground during the American Revolution

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Investigating Cultural Aspects of Historic Mortuary Archaeology: Perspectives from Europe and North America", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

In addressing attitudes towards death, we recorded gravemarker design and style at the Halifax Old Burying Ground, Nova Scotia, Canada ([HOBG] in operation from CE 1750 to 1845). In additional to detailing general mortuary trends, we were particularly interested in stylistic variation of gravemarkers at critical times of cultural change. During the eighteenth century, most of the raw material and worked tombstones from the HOBG were obtained through direct trade from New England. With the start of the American Revolution, however, formal trade relations ceased between Britain and its former colonies and Haligonians switched to local raw materials for their gravemarkers. By examining changes in tombstone design and style before, during, and after the American Revolution, we examine how attitudes towards death in Halifax were influenced by this trade embargo.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Investigating Cultural Aspects of Historic Mortuary Archaeology: Perspectives from Europe and North America   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow