You (TRIBAL MEMBERS ONLY) are invited to join us for a virtual Master’s thesis defense of Historical Archaeology student, Salvatore Ciccone, on Friday November 18, 2022, at 12:00 pm (EDT). Zoom link follows in yellow. Please see below for the title and abstract of this upcoming thesis defense.
We apologize for the late notice as we just recieved this notice. Please join if you can.
This thesis examines three indigenous households excavated on the Eastern Pequot reservation in North Stonington, Connecticut. Architectural artifact and spatial analyses, combined with historical documents, are utilized to understand reservation building practices of Native Americans navigating colonialism in the 18th and 19th century. The homes are small in design with at least one window, and one stone chimney each. They all possessed cellars, but not all are stone-lined. Nails and window glass serve as the primary artifact classes, with an emphasis on their manufacture and modification. Examining nail and glass type, quantity, modification, and location facilitates discussion on the forms Eastern Pequot homes took, and how they entered the archaeological record. Furthermore, historical records combined with archaeological evidence suggest repairs were made to the homes or materials recycled from them. Documents highlight the relationship between the overseer and tribal members on the reservation, and suggest overseers played an active role in Eastern Pequot home maintenance. Analyses results indicate when these homes entered the archaeological record, they were intentionally demolished. This historical and material evidence offers insight on Eastern Pequot strategies to navigating reservation life during colonialism of the 18th and 19th century.
