The Archaeology of Colonial Maryland

This book provides the perspectives of five different authors, archaeologists who have dedicated a significant part of their careers to understanding life in the 17th and 18th century English colony of Maryland. The genesis of this volume was a desire on behalf of the Maryland Historical Trust to create a synthetic volume that was accessible to the general public and which would describe the rich history and cultural heritage of the State as revealed through archaeology. This material...
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This book provides the perspectives of five different authors, archaeologists who have dedicated a significant part of their careers to understanding life in the 17th and 18th century English colony of Maryland. The genesis of this volume was a desire on behalf of the Maryland Historical Trust to create a synthetic volume that was accessible to the general public and which would describe the rich history and cultural heritage of the State as revealed through archaeology. This material culture of past people and places provides a window into history that the written record cannot duplicate (or actively attempts to silence). Dozens of sites are examined, ranging from plantation manor homes and slave quarters, to courthouses and ordinaries. Moreover, the lives of those who built Maryland are explored, including not only the powerful elites who governed the colony, but also those whose land and labor were being exploited: Native Americans, enslaved Africans, and poor indentured servants. All of them shaped what became Maryland, and this book tells their story as revealed through the objects they left behind and the clues buried in the soil of our State.