Railroads, Recycling, Waste Disposal, and Remnant Refuse: Factors Affecting the Structure and Composition of Historical Archaeological Sites

Abstract

The integrity of surface artifact assemblages on historical sites can be highly variable. Some sites are virtually barren, while others are awash in refuse. Why? This article explores the impact of rail access, wartime recycling, and differential access to consolidated refuse disposal on surface artifact assemblages found at historical sites in the American West. Sites that lacked rail access and did not participate in wartime recycling are most likely to be intact. In addition, assemblage effects due to differential access to consolidated refuse-disposal protocols are also examined. A suite of 10 historical sites, distributed across three states and dating between 1879 and 1960, is used to illustrate the variable effects of these three factors on surface refuse at historical sites in the West.