The Archaeology of American Labor and Working-Class Life

“Deftly surveys dozens of archaeological projects from the past three decades. . . . A comprehensive, easy-to-read and impressively understandable overview of an important topic within historical archaeology.”—Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology

“From the archaeology of Lowell, Massachusetts, to the monument commemorating the workers killed at Chicago’s Haymarket Square in the struggle for the eight-hour day . . . to the archaeology and history of the Ludlow massacre in Colorado, Shackel contextualizes archaeology with documents and shows the relevance of these sites for thinking about working class struggles today.”—Journal of Anthropological Research “Shackel provides a compelling account of how an archaeology of working-class life can correct and enrich historical knowledge and improve public understanding of the American industrial experience.”—Dean J. Saitta, University of Denver “A thorough, well-written overview of the issues confronting an archaeology of labor and the contributions historical archaeologists have made in addressing those issues. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone teaching historical archaeology or labor history at the university level.”—Stephen A. Mrozowski, University of Massachusetts Paul A. Shackel is professor of anthropology and director of the Center for Heritage Resource Studies at the University of Maryland. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Myth, Memory, and the Making of the American Landscape. A volume in the series The American Experience in Archaeological Perspective, edited by Michael S. Nassaney