Blacksmithing at Fort Ouiatenon: A Preliminary Analysis of Metal Production During the French Fur Trade in Indiana

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Fort Ouiatenon, established in 1717, was the first French fur trade post in present-day Indiana. During the 1970s, over 100 kilograms of waste from metalworking activities were discovered in an area believed to be linked to a forge. This research investigated debris from a specific area previously associated with blacksmithing to identify the materials used and reconstruct metalworking activities at the fort. Multiple methods were used to determine the chemical and structural composition of a sample of artifacts. This research serves as a preliminary analysis of a large selection of debris, intending to understand the production and maintenance of metal technology at the fort.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Paper / Report Submission (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow