Historical Archaeology: A Global Perspective
One of the greatest powers of Historical Archaeology as an interdisciplinary approach to the past, is its ability to shed light on the everyday lives and struggles of the majority of people who left no written record describing their experiences under colonialism. The second two books assigned in this course, Uncommon Ground: Archaeology and Early African America, 1650-1800, by Leland Ferguson, and The Archaeology of Refuge and Recourse: Coast Miwok
Resilience and Indigenous Hinterlands in Colonial California, by Tsim Schneider, explore the cultural worlds created by African Americans and Indigenous Californians in the context of colonial oppression. In this essay, drawing from your reading of the assigned texts, compare and contrast each author’s approach to answering the following questions:
1) How does archaeology shed light on the structural forces that shaped the experience of colonialism for African-Americans and Indigenous Californians in each context?
2) How does each author seek and identify archaeological evidence for cultural continuity and persistence in each case study?
3) How does each author discuss the social or cultural mechanisms that structured cultural change in each context?
Sample Solution
In his book Uncommon Ground: Archaeology and Early African America, 1650-1800, Leland Ferguson examines the structural forces of colonialism that shaped the experiences of African Americans in South Carolina during this period. He argues that in order to understand the African American experience under colonialism, we must look at both archaeological and documentary evidence. By doing so, he is able to gain insight into how Africans maintained their cultural identities while they were subjugated by colonial powers.
He suggests that slaves used everyday objects such as pots and pans to create a unique material culture based on shared traditions from across Africa and the Caribbean. In addition, he discusses aspects of African-American culture like music and religious practices which helped them maintain certain aspects of their identity despite oppression.
In contrast, Tsim Schneider’s The Archaeology of Refuge and Recourse: Coast Miwok Resilience and Indigenous Hinterlands in Colonial California focuses on how Indigenous Californians experienced colonialism through an examination of material remains from two different sites. Schneider looks at how Coast Miwok communities adapted their subsistence strategies in response to Spanish colonization through a combination of archaeological evidence including artifacts such as fish hooks or baskets as well as ethnohistorical records such as journals kept by missionaries who visited the area during this time period. Through his analysis, Schneider is able to identify changes within Coast Miwok culture over time due to Spanish presence but also highlight cultural continuity which allowed some ancient customs like basket weaving to persist throughout these centuries despite outside interference.
Both authors examine social or cultural mechanisms that structured change in each context brought about by colonial interaction with Africans and Native Americans respectively. For example, Ferguson shows how Christian conversion was used by Europeans as a means of control over African slaves yet many still managed to integrate elements into their own spiritual beliefs allowing for cultural continuity between home countries and enslaved areas; likewise Schneider points out how Spaniards introduced new technologies like metal tools which had long-term impacts on traditional ways even though much remained unchanged due to continued access to resources natively available around them prior contact with settlers occurred . Additionally both authors demonstrate persistence among marginalized populations in spite of adversity faced; for instance Ferguson notes that although plantation owners sought erase any connection back towards West/Central Africa many would go above beyond ensuring items are made per se utilizing methods passed down generationally testifying not only endurance but revitalization moreover Schneider echoes similar emphasis noting specific artifacts found when excavating suggest people returning more than once hinting sense belonging originated before foreign presence took root ultimately illustrating resilience amidst European colonization attempts .