midden

One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s TPQ: Modern Materials in Archaeological Excavations

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Archaeology is trash. There, I said it. Before you call Mr. Jones and have me thrown in a pit of snakes, let me explain. Generally speaking, archaeology focuses on understanding the past through the items that people left behind, i.e., their trash.  Most of the things we find are left around because they were broken … Continue reading One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s TPQ: Modern Materials in Archaeological Excavations

Time for Some Trash Talk: The Social Role of Garbage at Historic Kenmore

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Editor’s Note: Looking back in time, people’s personal hygiene, fashion choices, medical treatments, and more sometimes look, at the very least, bizarre, if not outright disgusting.  When confronted with these weird or gross practices, our first reaction can be to dismiss our ancestors as primitive, ignorant, or just silly.  Before such judgments, however, we should try … Continue reading Time for Some Trash Talk: The Social Role of Garbage at Historic Kenmore

Lecture – The Social Role of Garbage in Colonial Virginia [Video]

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On Tuesday, May 21, 2019, Dave Muraca, Director of Archaeology at The George Washington Foundation, presented "The Social Role of Garbage in Colonial Virginia," the final talk in this year's annual lecture series. Dave presented three case studies in 18th century garbage disposal at George Washington's Ferry Farm, Colonial Williamsburg, and Historic Kenmore. Thanks to … Continue reading Lecture – The Social Role of Garbage in Colonial Virginia [Video]