Dear Linda Derry
 
For many years I have been using your articles about kin structure and
gender (in the Chacmool gender volume and in the Deetz feschrift) both in
my teaching of historical archaeology to university students and in my own
research on the archaeology gold rush communities in colonial Australia.
In my opinion they are terrific examples both of an extremely significant
concept for understanding colonial communities and of a practical, applied
case study in the archaeology of gender.  When I saw your recent posting on
HISTARCH I decided to take the oppotunity to write.
 
In the articles you indicate that the research was part of a long term
project at Old Cahawba - how is that project progressing?  Have you yet
been able to test some of the material aspects of links within kin
networks, eg architectural styles, table settings, etc, to which you
alluded in the articles?  Have you written other articles that I should be
aware of?
 
If you are interested, (and tell me your address!) I will send you some
articles I have written that take up those ideas about kin structure.
Unfortunately on the mining sites the documentary evidence is insufficient
to connect individuals to specific sites, so I've been unable to test the
material evidence myself, but I have found extensive kin networks
underpinning the community which has been instrumental in reconsidering the
masculine diggings as family spaces.  One of my long term goals is to work
in a settlement where documents and sites match better, so that I can test
this further, but for the time being I am contenting myself with
encouraging two of my PhD students to employ that technique in their own
community studies.
 
Regards,
 
Susan
 
Dr Susan Lawrence
Department of Archaeology
La Trobe University
Bundoora, Victoria
Australia 3083
 
ph 03 9479 1790
fax 03 9479 1881