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Railroads, Recycling, Waste Disposal, and Remnant Refuse: Factors Affecting the Structure and Composition of Historical Archaeological Sites

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Abstract

The integrity of surface artifact assemblages on historical sites can be highly variable. Some sites are virtually barren, while others are awash in refuse. Why? This article explores the impact of rail access, wartime recycling, and differential access to consolidated refuse disposal on surface artifact assemblages found at historical sites in the American West. Sites that lacked rail access and did not participate in wartime recycling are most likely to be intact. In addition, assemblage effects due to differential access to consolidated refuse-disposal protocols are also examined. A suite of 10 historical sites, distributed across three states and dating between 1879 and 1960, is used to illustrate the variable effects of these three factors on surface refuse at historical sites in the West.

Extracto

La integridad de los ensamblajes de artefactos de superficie en los sitios históricos puede ser muy variable. Algunos sitios son prácticamente estériles, mientras que otros están inundados de basura. ¿Por qué? Este artículo explora el impacto del acceso ferroviario, el reciclaje en tiempos de guerra y el acceso diferencial a la eliminación consolidada de desechos en ensamblajes de artefactos de superficie encontrados en sitios históricos en el oeste estadounidense. Los sitios que carecían de acceso ferroviario y no participaron en el reciclaje en tiempos de guerra tienen mayor probabilidad de estar intactos. Además, también se examinan los efectos de ensamblaje debido al acceso diferencial a los protocolos de la eliminación consolidada de desechos. Se utiliza un conjunto de 10 sitios históricos, distribuidos en tres estados y que datan entre 1879 y 1960, para ilustrar los efectos variables de estos tres factores en los desechos superficiales en sitios históricos en el oeste.

Résumé

L’intégrité des assemblages d’artéfacts de surface sur les sites historiques peut être extrêmement variable. Certains sites sont quasiment vides, alors que d’autres sont couverts de débris. Quelle en est la cause ? Cet article s’intéresse à l’impact de l’accès par chemin de fer, du recyclage en temps de guerre ainsi qu’à l’accès différentiel aux débris consolidés sur les assemblages d’artéfacts de surface trouvés sur les sites historiques dans l’Ouest américain. Les sites dépourvus d’un accès par chemin de fer et qui n’ont pas participé au recyclage en temps de guerre sont les plus susceptibles d’être intacts. De plus, les effets d’assemblage résultant de l’accès différentiel aux protocoles de dépôts de déchets consolidés sont également étudiés. Une série de 10 sites historiques répartis à travers trois états et datant d’une période entre 1879 et 1960, est utilisée pour illustrer les effets variables de ces trois facteurs sur les débris de surface dans les sites historiques de l’Ouest.

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    Neal W. Ackerly

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Ackerly, N.W. Railroads, Recycling, Waste Disposal, and Remnant Refuse: Factors Affecting the Structure and Composition of Historical Archaeological Sites. Hist Arch 54, 453–471 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-020-00235-7

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