Lost lightnin’: moonshine in Alabama as represented in the archaeological record

Moonshine stills are commonly discovered during archaeological surveys and excavations across the southeastern United States, where moonshine production holds historical economic importance. These sites are recorded occasionally, but little investigative research is done because of a prevailing assumption that stills can offer nothing of historical significance. The present thesis, however, seeks to demonstrate that this assumption is not correct. Alabama is an ideal state for the archaeological study of moonshine still sites. Stills are recorded in the Alabama State Site File and some preliminary investigations of moonshine were completed in the late 1970’s, thus providing a base of information to facilitate further investigation toward the goals of this these. The major objectives of this thesis include establishing a chronology and typology of stills, identifying settlement patterns, and determining land use patterns associated with still locations across Alabama. The results of this thesis reveal that moonshine stills can be sorted into types and dated, and that settlement and land use patterns are identifiable in the archaeological record. I conclude that transitions in the legal status and socioeconomic importance of moonshine production in Alabama are clearly demonstrated and can be identified in the archaeological record. This research contributes to the study of historic archaeology in Alabama, as well as the anthropological investigation of alcohol and its production and distribution. (Published By University of Alabama Libraries