Archaeology of the Hoosier hills : exploring economic and material conditions at the Charley Farmstead

The Charley farmstead in Harrison County, Indiana represents a significant archaeological resource within a region that has been largely neglected by historians and historical archaeologists alike. The farm was settled by George Charley, a Revolutionary War veteran from Virginia, in 1810, and was continuously occupied for two centuries. This study presents the results of an archaeological investigation at the site that included primary document research, mapping of the architectural landscape, a soil resistance survey, subsurface testing, and the analysis of historic materials. The data collected was used to interpret the material and economic conditions experienced at the site during the nineteenth century. From this data it appears that the Charley farmstead was a diverse and successful agricultural operation that began as a subsistence-level corn and swine farm, adopted market-dependent surplus agriculture by the mid-nineteenth century, and followed general trends towards increased market-dependence and consumerism into the twentieth century.Department of AnthropologyThesis (M.A.