Field Season Ends...

The field school ended July 9th and was a very successful field investigation - although extremely hot. In comparison to last year the artifact count was low, however unlike the previous season the shards of glass and ceramic were much more diagnostic forming a very tight date range between 1850 and 1890. The date range spans the Connor family tenancy and the time of the rowhouse built in 1854 and burnt, abandoned, and demolished by 1896. The artifacts were mostly domestic and included teacups, plates, soup tureens, chamber pots, buttons, and toys. The data provide a keen insight into the daily lives of the Connor family.

Unfortunately, the artifacts do not provide any clues as to the use of the structure. It has been assumed that the 12 ft. X 12 ft. structure was used as the family shop. The widow Conner (1870s) was listed as owning a shop on the property, however it is unclear if she did so in this outbuilding. The material culture is similar to many other non-commercial, domestic sites and does not provide any insights into the use of the structure. There are no indications (other than domestic items) that the building was a residence. It has been suggested that it could have been a worker's barracks, but the presence of women and children in the assemblage suggest otherwise. It is because of this I contend that the material most likely belongs to the Conner family and was dumped in the structure (most artifacts found along the bottom of the feature) after the fire and abandonment of the house - and subsequently the outbuilding. After 1896 the house was razed and the lot remained vacant until the present time. Thus for now the our structure remains somewhat of a mystery...

The next phase of the project is laboratory work. The artifacts were washed in the field, but now every piece needs to be labeled and cataloged before I begin the analysis. I look forward to this part as it allows the time to really sit and think about the materials and their implications for daily life amongst Irish immigrant and Irish-American laborers.

I hope people continue to follow the project as it moves through what can be one of the most exciting phases. I plan to post weekly blogs in terms of new findings, photographs, and of course the completed site report.

I want to thank the fantastic crew working this summer - none of this could have been possible without them. I hope they read this and stay connected to the project.

Post by:
Stephen A. Brighton