Hi Folks,

I would like to be in touch with any of you who have worked on a site of interest to pharmaceutical historians in recent years.  To explain where I'm coming from, I will be participating in a symposium at the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy in Seattle late in March.  An expanded version of the oral papers will also be part of a book on avocations for people interested in the history of pharmacy.  My plan is to try to encourage pharmacy historians to provide their services to historic archaeology as volunteers or consultants in professional archaeological studies where needed, and also to appreciate preservation of archaeological sites and the ethics related to excavating sites.  My plan is to discuss two or three sites that I have worked on that have had interesting pharmaceutical artifacts (usually patent medicines) and their significance and then to suggest how historians can volunteer to assist in professional studies.  

I would like to refer to studies done by others and that's where I would like your input.  Have any of you reports of sites in which pharmaceutical artifacts played an important role?  Have any of you reported on excavations of historic drug stores?  Have any of you made use of pharmaceutical/medical historians as consultants in a major way?  Of course, I will give appropriate credit to any contributors.  Also I plan to review the last ten years of "Historical Archaeology" in my preparation.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this topic, input, suggestions, etc., and suggest that you contact me off-line.

Allen Vegotsky, Ph.D.
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(770) 270-1034  (Atlanta)