Excavating the Empire City: An Introduction to the Historical Archaeology of New York City



This course will introduce students to the historical archaeology of New York City and to the material traces of the past that lie beneath our feet. The course will begin with a brief introduction to archaeological methods and to the surprisingly rich history of archaeological discoveries in a city so often focused on the future. Then we will embark upon a chronologically and thematically organized survey of what historical archaeological studies since the late 1970s (most catalyzed by federal and local historic preservation laws) have contributed to our understanding of the city’s past, from its beginnings as a Dutch colony to the twentieth century. Along the way, we will examine different approaches to interpreting material evidence and its relationship to written texts. We will also focus on what archaeological objects can tell us about the relationships between larger historical trends or events (including changes to the urban landscape) and the lives and agency of people “on the ground,” especially those who have been neglected or misrepresented in written histories. Topics will include colonization, slavery, urbanization and infrastructure, health, middle-class ideology, the intersection of class-, race-, and gender-based discrimination, immigration and acculturation, and identity and community building. Class meetings will be seminar style (consisting of short lectures followed by student-led discussion of assigned readings), with opportunities to view and handle artifacts. If possible, we will also visit relevant museums and field sites. Assignments will include an artifact report and a research paper or project (on a topic of your choice, and digital projects are welcome), presentations, and leading class discussion. There are no prerequisites, and newcomers to archaeology are welcome. 3 credits. Depending on final research project, this course can satisfy the pre-1800 requirement.