Absolutely. My work has also been with phase I but I have always included
the dump information even if it was relativly recent. Here in maryland each
farm seems to have its dump generally in some area that was difficult to
cultivate.
Creek beds were generally used and are often filled with this stuff.
Occasionally where convenient on field boundaries also not cultivated one
finds cast off parts near to where they broke down. On another topic I have
always been amazed by the depositing of all kinds of tools and parts along
rail lines. Quite a bit of stuff either stockpiled or just left in place
after repairs. Many times tools perhaps pre positioned or perhaps simply
left rather being lugged back. Interesting that of all areas dumps in creek
beds and other un cultivatable places are also places that developers are
more ready to leave alone so even though often outside the scope of work it
is worth noting them anyway.
-----Original Message-----
From: Lyle E. Browning
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 11:18 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: 20th century farmsteads
Most of my investigations have been Phase I's with write-off as the
recommendation. But, in investigating the technological changes in farm
equipment, perspectives have changed. I've begun recording farm equipment
dumps as archaeological sites. These are the old, worn-out, broken or spare
parts items that are typically hauled somewhere behind the equipment sheds
and left to be covered in brambles and emergent trees. Typically these are
steel-wheeled equipment that was replaced to the 90% by the late 1930's in
sales by rubber tired equipment. These dumps are info sources for economic
conditions at the individual farm level, and at the macro level looking at
the distribution patterns of the hundreds of manufacturers that no longer
exist. And of course, the belt driven small-task machines such as corn
shellers, etc. need to be recorded and handed over for curation somewhere.
The problem I'm facing is that retail prices for farm equipment are very
difficult to obtain. The manufacturers don't have MSRP figures as those are
left to the individual dealers who advertise without prices and their
account books don't usually survive. Some figures are available for
tractors, but the other stuff that was pulled, not so much.
Lyle Browning
On Mar 1, 2011, at 10:27 AM, Marie E. Pokrant wrote:
> Fellow HISTARCH-ers,
>
> I am trying to track down "gray literature" on Phase II investigations
> completed on early twentieth-century farmsteads in the NY, WV, PA, and OH
> region. Unfortunately, most early twentieth-century farmsteads have not,
> until recently, been a research interest. Although I am trying to focus
> my research on the Midwest/northeast, I would be happy to gather data from
> other regions as well.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Marie
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Marie E. Pokrant, M.A., RPA
> Senior Archaeologist
> GAI Consultants, Inc.
> Baldwin 200 Building
> 625 Eden Park Drive - Suite 1000
> Cincinnati, OH 45202
> [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> 513.721.3800 ext. 4245
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