Hello all,

I am considering doing a session on farmstead archaeology for the SHA in 
Toronto to expand on a session done at the Canadian Archaeological 
Association conference this past weekend. If anyone is interested they can 
take a look at the possible session abstract below and contact me off list.

Thanks,

Meagan Brooks
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Considered Session Abstract
The archaeological study of historic period farmsteads has the potential to 
answer important research questions about the economic transition from 
subsistence to commercial agriculture; the migration of ethnic groups; the 
material transition from vernacular, folk-based culture to industrial-based 
culture; social change; regional/global trade and interaction; the 
expression of social class; the influence of consumerism upon rural 
households; and examining gender roles and the division of labor. This 
session has been developed in an attempt to continue a discourse on these 
and other topics on a contextual level with a focus on building 
characterizations of historic farmsteads and their buildings as prominent 
contributors to regional distinctiveness and landscape. The articulation of 
regional patterns would then begin in order to synthesize the expression of 
an important type of archaeological site that is routinely impacted.