Abstract
A zooarchaeological study of fish remains deposited between 1710 and 1900 within a large urban center provides information about households, social hierarchies, and fisheries. Charleston (South Carolina, USA) is an international seaport founded on the southern Atlantic coast of North America in 1670. Fish were important in the city’s cuisine and economy, with Africans involved in many aspects of the fishery. Fish in upper-status townhouse zooarchaeological assemblages are more diverse but from lower trophic levels compared to assemblages from other contexts. This fishery largely focused on in-shore waters until the mid-1800s, when changes presaging those of the twentieth century occurred.
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Acknowledgments
We gratefully acknowledge the contribution made by numerous people who helped us develop these ideas. The list is now too lengthy to repeat here; but special recognition is due to the citizens of Charleston, whose interest in their city’s heritage supported our work in tangible and intangible ways. We are indebted to David Shields for his culinary research. His detailed and careful analysis of Charleston’s market and dining scene, particularly his account of C.C. Leslie’s story, provides a sound basis for comparison to the archaeological data. We are grateful for the support of the City of Charleston, particularly of former mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. The Charleston Museum has a long history of embracing archaeology, which has made this long-term study possible. We are grateful for the support of the staff, faculty, and students of the Charleston County Public Library, Historic Charleston Foundation, Old Exchange Building and Provost Dungeon, the Preservation Society of Charleston, the South Carolina Historical Society, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, and The College of Charleston. We appreciate the assistance of the reviewers who helped us improve the manuscript. Fig. 1 was drafted by Susan G. Duser. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 18th International Conference of Archaeozoology Fish Remains Working Group, Lisbon, Portugal in 2015.
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Reitz, E.J., Zierden, M.A. A Zooarchaeological Study of Households and Fishing in Charleston, South Carolina, USA, 1710–1900. Int J Histor Archaeol 25, 1087–1112 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-021-00590-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10761-021-00590-y