A historical archaeology of Delaware

"A must for both academic historical archaeologists and contract archaeologists in the field, this book constitutes a comprehensive look at the historical archaeology of Delaware from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. The approach to archaeological management developed in Delaware over two decades and embodied in this book has broad applicability. Many of the nation's historical archaeological sites are agricultural, and they present cultural resource managers with considerable challenges. Delaware's historical archaeology program has begun to explore the "cultures of agriculture" so central to the course of American history." "By analyzing what she describes as richly detailed archaeological site biographies, De Cunzo reconstructs how Delaware's farming people actively created their identities and shaped their interactions at home, at work, at church, and in the marketplace as they began to confront industrial capitalism. Informed by a contextual, interpretive perspective, this valuable work reveals the complex interrelationships among environment, technology, economy, social order, and cultural praxis that defined the "cultures of agriculture" in Delaware during the last three centuries."--Jacket.