Urban archaeology is defined by Bradley and King (1989:ix) as “The study of the evolution and changing character of urban communities from their earliest origins until modern times” (Bradley and King 1989:ix). Likewise, Landmark Archaeological Services, Inc. suggests that “Urban archaeology examines the development of towns and cities" (1999:http://www.fromsitetostory.org/sources/archinmn/archinmnurban.asp). While definitions of urban archaeology are few and far between in archaeological literature, these definitions clarify that the goal of urban archaeology is to investigate the origin and evolution of urban comm unities. As the focus of research, it is significant to note that urban communities, towns, and cities vary according to their cultural and temporal context. Anfinson (1990:4) makes it clear that urban archaeology practiced within the historical context of the United States prioritizes the investigation of modern “industrial” cites (rather than prehistoric urban centers). Anfinson (1990:3) explains “Some may define a city as any incorporated town even if only a hundred people live there. Others think of a city as a major population center…When we talk about urban archaeology, we generally are talking about doing archaeology not just in a city, but in a large population center” (Anfinson 1990:3). Therefore, urban archaeology in the United States represents the archaeological study of urban centers (which usually developed as nineteenth century industrial cities) with a focus on their inception and change through time.
The Temporal Context of Urban Archaeology in U.S. Cities
Given that industrial centers in North America developed well after European contact in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, these archaeological resources are designated as historic archaeological sites. Due to this temporal context, this specialization has been the focus of historical archaeological practice in the United States. Referring to the archaeology of U.S. cities, The Institute for Minnesota Archaeology explains “Lying under our city streets and sidewalks, warehouses and parking lots, is the history of our cities, in mute layers containing the remnants of lives gone by…and so it is historical archaeologists—those who use both text and artifact in their quest to understand human li fe in earlier times—who delve beneath concrete and asphalt to uncover what lies beneath” (1999:http://www.fromsitetostory.org/sources/ archinmn/archinmnurban.asp). Therefore, due to the post-European contact context of urban archaeology in the United States, historical archaeologists typically pursue this specialty. As urban sprawl expands and our cities age, urban archaeology will become more commonplace and this category of archaeological research will likely become a standard component of practice in North America. We are currently creating content for this section. In order to be able to keep up with our high standards of service, we need a little more time. Please stop by again. Thank you for your interest!We are currently creating content for this section. In order to be able to keep up with our high standards of service, we need a little more time. Please stop by again. Thank you for your interest!
