Probate inventories: An evaluation from the perspective of zooarchæology and agricultural history at Mott Farm

Abstract

Problems in integrating documentary, architectural, and archaeological data are discussed first in terms of defining the archaeological context of a farmsite occupied by the Mott family for over 250 years, and then integrating zooarchaeological data with agricultural economics and foodway patterns. The social context of one unit, a cellar filled in the 1730’s, is established as being that of the family of Jacob Mott II. This context is then used in conjunction with zooarchaeological data and information drawn from the probate inventory of Jacob II on animal husbandry to determine uses of animals, agricultural economics, and foodways on a family farmstead. Proportions of domestic animals present on the Mott farm in 1736 are established from the probate inventory and are then compared with proportions of animals determined from the archaeological record. Discrepancies between the two sources are explained in terms of varying uses of sheep, pig, and cattle.