Hi Carol

I think the Cossack townsite is a great archaeology site, and not just 
because it was my Ph.D research site. I excavated the back and side yard of 
the first building in town which was variously:

a store/house
Store
Store managers house
Japanese laundry
Japanese divers house

I ended up with a database of over 8,000 diagnostic artifacts in stratified 
databases from the 1870s, 1880s, 1890s 1920s and 1930s to present, although 
the 1920s database was from only a small area of the site where it had been 
preserved from mixing with later artifacts. Unfortunately I never finished 
the Ph.D due to illness so most of the info is unpublished.

However, this is the richest archaeological site I have encountered in 17 
years of working in Western Australia.  Most artifact classes run into 
numerous types like, over hundred button types, 86 lead bottle seal types, 
etc etc. So of course the government which owns most of the town and 
protects it under the WA Heritage Act decided it was the perfect place to 
turn into a housing estate.

I have been running a campaign to save the town ever since. The final master 
plan is going before cabinet soon with no intention of showing the 300 odd 
stakeholders in the consultation process what the final result ended up 
looking like.  After intense lobbying the second draft concept graciously 
saved half the town for tourism and archaeology - because it floods in 
cyclonic storm surges and did so graphically during the consultation process 
but still put houses all over the pearling masters half of the town. It got 
hammered by most of the stakeholders but to what affect I don't know.

Myself and the rest of the Save Cossack people are trying to get a peek at 
the final. Meanwhile I am trying to decide what to do about my unfinished 
Ph.D research.

Cheers Gaye


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Carol Serr" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 3:05 AM
Subject: Re: Button Books - let's Share our info!


> Wow Gaye...your Cossack study collection sounds wonderful!  You should
> seriously look in to getting the information published...or put online
> (even better?).
>
> I have wanted such a button (and other clothing fixtures) reference for
> western (and specifically S. California) sites...and have been thinking
> of collecting data...and producing something along those lines
> myself...but, never seem to have the spare time.
>
> If Everyone would share their info - and illustrations - just think what
> a wonderful database we would ALL have to use.  How many of us ever get
> info published?  Or ever see the gray literature reports...even in our
> own County??  It would really be helpful if more info was made available
> to everyone.  And, as you HISTARCH folks know, I think having info
> available on the web is the way to go these days.  Saves so much time
> having to track down hard copy references (only to find them of little
> use since they lack good enough descriptions; have no illustrations, or
> dimensions, etc.; or are not from the time period of your collection so
> have nothing comparable...etc.).
>
> But...this all takes TIME...which there seems to be so little of (even
> with the time saved by finding things online).
>
> Carol
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Gaye
> Nayton
> Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 7:45 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Button Books
>
> David
>
> New Zealand archaeology had a strong interest in typology and dating so
> a
> lot of useful work has come out of there. This includes a hons thesis on
>
> buttons from Chinese mining sites (Cameron) which was included in a Ph.D
>
> thesis on Chinese mining archaeology (Richie).
>
> Fiona R Cameron 1985 An analysis of buttons, clothing hardware and
> textiles
> of the 19th C Chinese goldminers of Central Otago. B.A. dissertation,
> Anthrop Dept. Uni of Otago, Dunedin.
>
> I don't have a contact for Fiona but the univerisity might, they will
> certainly know how to get hold of Neville Richie.
>
> I also have a lot of buttons from my Cossack Ph.D research, which has
> never
> been published (about 160 types from memory). These have been finely
> dated
> into site layers of average 10 years duration so are potentially very
> useful
> for dating button types.
>
> Regards
>
> Gaye
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Parkhill" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 11:50 AM
> Subject: Button Books
>
>
>>A small group of folks are showing an interest in books that identify
>>BUTTONS. Enough interest may be generated to attempt to develop or
> publish
>>a document (book etc.) for reference.
>>
>> Do any of you HISTARCH folks have books, documents or what have you
> that
>> are all ready in print that could be used as a starter? Are you
> willing to
>> share? Sure, there are piece meal publications out there but where are
>
>> they?
>>
>> Certainly could use some help, ideas!