Historical archaeology

Historical archaeology is a form of archaeology dealing with places, things, and issues from the past or present when written records and oral traditions can inform and contextualize cultural material. These records can both complement and conflict with the archaeological evidence found at a particular site. Studies tend to focus on literate, historical-period societies as opposed to non-literate, prehistoric societies. While they may not have generated the records, the lives of people for whom there was little need for written records, such as the working class, slaves, indentured labourers, and children but who live in the historical period can also be the subject of study. The sites are found on land and underwater. Industrial archaeology, unless practiced at industrial sites from the prehistoric era, is a form of historical archaeology concentrating on the remains and products of industry and the Industrial era.

Notable historical archaeology sites

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Canada

• Colony of Avalon, Ferryland, Newfoundland & Labrador

United States

• African Burial Ground National Monument, New York City
• Annapolis, Maryland
• Jamestown, Virginia
• Monticello, Virginia
• Mount Vernon, Virginia
• Plimoth Plantation, Massachusetts
• St. Mary's City, Maryland
• Sully Historic Site, Virginia
• Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
• Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, North Carolina

Notable historical archaeologists

• J.C. Harrington
• Ivor Noël Hume
• James Deetz
• Judy Birmingham

Further reading

"Historical archaeology has several definitions. One of the more unfortunate ones -- which is certainly not true... is that historical archaeology is the most expensive way in the world to learn something we already know."

Deetz, 1991:1

• Connah, Grahame. 1988 "Of the hut I builded" The archaeology of Australia's history. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• M. Hall and S. Silliman (eds) 2006. Historical Archaeology. Oxford: Blackwell.