"Big Data" in the Nation’s Capital: Statistics and Storytelling with Washington, DC’s Archaeological Collections

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Historical Archaeology of Cities: Unearthing Complexity in Urban Landscapes", at the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Known as the “Federal City,” Washington, DC has undergone extensive archaeological excavation and analysis, in part due to American law that requires pre-construction testing for federal government-related construction projects. However, this wealth of data is understudied and rarely revisited after the excavation report has been completed. In this paper, I synthesize data from over 40 previously excavated household sites across Washington, DC dating between 1860-1920. I focus specifically on glass bottle materials from these deposits to study access to medicine and other consumer goods. Archaeologists have recently called for increased work that is collections-based, synthesizes previous research, and draws on the possibilities of “big data”. I suggest a multi-scalar, interdisciplinary approach that draws together statistical analysis and storytelling. Using computer programming, visualization, GIS/geospatial techniques, and thick description of individual case studies, I present new methodological approaches to synthesizing the significant but complex data produced through decades of archaeological research.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2023   •
• Historical Archaeology of Cities: Unearthing Complexity in Urban Landscapes

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow