Artifacts and Archives

Catalog description

This interdisciplinary course explores the intersection of material culture and archival research. Focusing on the American South from the colonial period through the 20th century, this course investigates the lives of Mecklenburg County’s founding families through archaeological evidence and archival documentation. Students will examine the material remains of plantation life-such as tools, dwellings, plant use, ceramics, and landscape features-alongside written records including plantation ledgers, Freedmen’s Bureau papers, oral histories, and other Black-authored and institutional archives. Through case studies, field reports, and primary source analysis, the course interrogates how race, power, and memory shape the production and preservation of knowledge about the past. Students will gain hands-on experience curating a historic archaeological collection, evaluating historical sources, analyzing cultural landscapes, and understanding the ethical dimensions of researching marginalized histories. The course will also critically engage with public history practices and the politics of commemoration. Satisfies Anthopology major and minor requirement. Satisfies Historical Thought Ways of Knowing requirement. Satisfies Justice, Equality, and Community requirement.