The Chinese Experience in Deadwood, South Dakota

Abstract

Four years of excavations and research on the Chinatown Project has begun to chronicle the Chinese experience in Deadwood, South Dakota. Major features encountered include burned structural remnants, architectural remains, privies, refuse pits, and dumping episodes. A unique pit feature suggests evidence of a possible ceremonial disposal of personal possessions. Archaeological evidence collected from buried remains of a ceremonial burner built by the Chinese in 1908 suggests Deadwood’s Chinese community used this structure for mortuary rituals until some time in the 1920s. Asian ceramic vessels are similar in shapes and designs to those found at other Overseas Chinese sites, as are glass bottle assemblages, opium smoking paraphernalia, coins, gaming items, and clothing. Through a combination of historical research and archaeological excavations, Deadwood’s Chinatown offers an understanding of a significant contribution to early life in a small western town, rich with a society comprising various ethnic populations.