Tenant farms of the past, present, and future: An ethnoarchaeological view

Abstract

part of the archaeological research at farming com munities including Silcott (Adams 1977), Mill wood Plantation (Orser et al. 1987; Orser 1988b), and Waverly Plantation (Adams 1980). Oral infor mation was collected for each of these studies dur ing?rather than prior to?the archaeological field work, with the exception of Adams' work at Silcott. The ethnographic study of Silcott, how ever, was conducted from an archaeological view point, "not to provide an analogue for some ar chaeological data, but instead to provide a better perspective on the ethnographic data" (Adams 1982:45). Queries about material culture in each of these investigations were restricted largely to hous ing and settlement rather than to a more complete range of material culture. The present study focuses on the use of oral testimonies to develop an interpretive framework for archaeological research on sites inhabited by tenant farmers. Four areas of interest to plantation archaeologists who study these sites are: settle ment, housing and associated features, material culture, and foodways. Specific archaeological problems are identified through the use of living archaeology, a method of collecting ethnographic data primarily for archaeological research.