"HOUSEHOLD ARCHAEOLOGY OF AN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY SETTLEMENT IN VERMONT, " by Stephen D. Butz

Date of Award

Spring 2025

Language

English

Embargo Period

5-6-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Anthropology

Program

Anthropology

First Advisor

Sean Rafferty

Committee Members

Sean Rafferty, Francis Jess Robinson, Robert Rosenswig

Keywords

Archaeology, Vermont, Household Archaeology, Eighteenth Century, Daniel Shays

Subject Categories

Archaeological Anthropology

Abstract

The rediscovery of ruins in the mountains of Vermont may shine light on the theory and practice of household archaeology and its potential to reveal the social and economic status of the people who once resided there. To this date, there are the remains of twelve structures identified as potential dwellings located on Egg Mountain in Sandgate, Vermont, which local folklore claim were the homes for the refugees who fled from Massachusetts during Shays’ Rebellion in 1787. Shay’s Rebellion was an uprising that took place in Massachusetts led by Captain Daniel Shays in response to the unfair treatment of veterans and their families by the Massachusetts government shortly after the American Revolution.

This dissertation presents the detailed research and examination of the artifacts and features of the ruins to try and determine if they could be the material remains of a hidden settlement established in 1787. This includes a detailed description of the ruins’ features and material remains and what they infer about their potential household production and consumption practices. I will also offer an analysis of the ceramic assemblages excavated there, how they compare to other contemporary sites in Northeastern United States and the potential social differentiation they suggest about the ruin’s occupants. This dissertation will attempt to determine how the people who lived there supported themselves and gained access to the resources they needed to subsist. I also seek to discover how long the settlement was occupied and to determine if it acted as a temporary refugee enclave, or sustained resettlement project. I will also explore what may have led to its eventual abandonment.

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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