Excavating Utopia: the Archeology of American Communal Societies by Geoffrey M

Supplement Information Related to Responsibilities of the Secretary of the Interior Section 3, Executive Order 11593 An'notated JIJ ......., ... ~1Ja II'....... ,II"J'IIIII~""". h'lr'l' Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service Vol. 4 No.4 October 1979 Excavating Utopia: The Archeology of American Communal Societies by Geoffrey M. Gyrisco Archeologist Interagency Archeological Services Prom pted by the research needs of outdoor vil lage museums and the requirements of federal historic preservation legislation, interest in the archeological remains of American communal societies is growing. The above-ground material culture, buildings, and furnishings of Shakers, Photo: Walter Smalling, /r. Moravians, Mormons, Harmonists, and the MilL Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. S~venth-Day Baptists have received much atten tion in the past. The buried material culture is I. HARMONISTS now helping to reveal how the communal organi zation of the Mormons made possible settlement Old Economy Village, Ambridge, Pennsylvania in the extremely harsh environment of the South Citron, Henry west. Archeology is also showing that the orga 1968 Historical-Archeological Excavation of nization of the Moravians, Shakers, and the the Bakery at Old Economy, Pennsylvania, Seventh-Day Baptists facilitated the development 1967-1968. Xerox copy. Old Economy Vil of industries which served the surrounding soci lage, Ambridge, Pa. ety as well as their own. An unpublished report of the excavation of While these communal groups shared with the an unstratified site undertaken to deter surrounding society the American democratic mine the location of the bakery for possi faith in progress, the mission of America, and ble reconstruction by the museum. The site the fundamental law, they challenged the socie of the bakery, which was used from 1824 tal belief in the traditional family, capitalism, until the community was too small to oper and individualism. With the exception of the ate it at the turn of the 19th century, pro Mormons and Moravians, the surrounding soci duced many arr,hitectural remains, glass ety alone has excavated, preserved, and listed fragments, and sherds of utility ceramics. the sites of COIl)m unal societies in the National Register and as National Historic Landmarks. II. ICARIANS The present interpretive programs of these his toric sites frequently minimize the radical char Fruhling, Larry acter of the communal social experiments and 1978a Extinct Town Reveals Secrets: Stu suggest that the rejection of American individu dents Find Artifacts from Early Iowa Com alism was an expression of individualism. munists. Des Moines Tribune May 29, pp. This annotated bibliography was compiled to 1, 6. Des Moines, Iowa. show an im portan t use of archeology in the A news article summarizing the history study of the history and culture of American com and archeology of an approximately 100- munal societies and the interpretation of the ma member community of French Christian terial evidence of these comm unities to the communists who lived at the site from 1857 public. This bibliography, which is extensive, to 1880. Wayne Wheeler of the University though not comprehensive, should aid future re of Nebraska at Omaha and Russell Lewis searchers in building on widely scattered earlier of the University of Evansville directed the work. excavation. 1978b Archaeolog'ists in Iowa Bare Secrets ,tional Heritage Corporation, West Chester, of Long-ago Communist Utopia. Minneapo Pennsylvania. lis Tribune June 11, pp. IH, 5H. Minneapo A lengthy report of the excavation of a lis, Minnesota. mid-18th- and 19th-century Moravian in A reprint of the above article. dustrial site undertaken for historic site development purposes. Under the com Videtich, John munal "general economy," 1740-1762, the 1978 Students Dig for Foundation of !caria town was organized into choirs, age and Colony. Creston News Advertiser May 31, sex based groups that lived, worked, ate, p. 2 Creston, Iowa. and slept together as a group. The arche A news article discussing the results of the ologists expected homogenity of ceramics excavation directed by Wheeler and Lewis. due to equality of consumption with little They uncovered a circular food processing fine teaware or other rank-associated so and storage structure laid out in metric cial items. Large vessels for cooking and measurements and a dairy or laundry. storage for each choir were expected. The Harrington, Virginia S. and J. C. Harrington "general economy" was disolved in 1762 1971 Rediscovery of the Nauvoo Temple: Re and a salary system was instituted for ar port on Archaeological Excavations. Nau tisans. The choirs declined and the num voo Restoration, Inc., Nauvoo, Illinois. ber of individual famiy units increased. Thus the archeologists expected greater Refers to the evidence of !carian reuse of heterogenity of taste, form, function, and the fire-gutted Mormon Temple after the costliness of the ceramics. The available Mormon exodus. evidence generally supported these hy potheses. III. MORA VIANS Bethabara, Salem, and vicinity, North Carolina Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bivins, John, Jr. 1972 The Moravian Potters in North Caro Cotter, John L. lina. Published for Old Salem, Inc., Win 1971 Current Research: Northeast. Society ston-Salem, North Carolina by the for Historical Archaeology Newsletter 4(2): University of North Carolina Press, Chapel 6-11. Hill, North Carolina. Mentions the excavation of an 18th-century This well-illustrated book correlates the ar tannery by Vincent P. Foley. The original cheological finds at Bethabara and Salem Moravian users of the property were re with the extensive Moravian records in or markably tidy, but after the Civil War the der to provide detailed descriptions of the area became littered, the building increas man ufacturing process and wares and inglyabused, to its ultimate 20th-century biographies of the potters and apprentices. ruin. The 18th- and 19th-century potteries pro Foley, Vincent P. duced a wide variety of vessels as well as 1965 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-A Unique toys, tobacco pipes, water pipes, and stove Historic Site. Florida Anthropologist 18:(3, tile. The potters produced many types of Part 2): 61-64. ceramics including plain and slip-deco Briefly describes the excavation of "the rated earthenwares, copies of 18th-century first waterworks in America," built in 1754. English creamware, and tin-enameled pot Waterpowered pumps forced spring water tery similar to that of central Europe. The through hollowed wooden pipes uphill to a great diversity of form, style, and ethnic water tower in the center of town. The influence, despite the German and Swiss waterworks were part of a 9-acre industrial background of all the potters and Mora complex !hat included 11 different indus vian conservatism indicates that they were tries. attuned to prevailing tastes. The potteries competed successfully as did the other Gill, Bruce C. (Compilor) congregation-owned and operated busi n.d. Excavations of the 1761 Tannery (1967, nesses. '68, '69, and '71) by V.P. Foley; 1966 Excava tions of Tawry-Springhouse complex by 1973 The Moravian Potters in North Caro V.P. Foley; 1970 Pottery Excavations by lina, 1756-1821. In Ceramics in America, V.P. Foley; 1972 Waterworks Excavations edited by Ian M. G. Quimby, pp. 255-290. by V.P. Foley. Unpublished manuscripts. Published for The Winterthur Museum by Historic Bethlehem Inc., Bethlehem, Penn The University Press of Virginia, Char sylvania. lottesville. National Heritage Corporation An excellent, well-illustrated, condensed 1977 Bethlehem Pottery and Forge: An Ar version of the above book. cheological Investigation. Report prepared Clauser, John W., Jr. for The City of Bethlehem Bureau of Plan 1975a Report on Salvage Excavation: Old ning, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania by Na- Salem Potter's Meadow. Unpublished man- 2 uscript. Old Salem, Inc., Winston-Salem, rected by John Clauser at the 19th Century North Carolina. Krause-Butner Pottery at Bethabara. At a A descriptive report of a salvage test exca pottery museum located in the restored vation of the area where the Salem potters potter's house, exhibits composed entirely obtained their clay. The report contains a of excavated materials tell the story of pot brief historical sketch drawn from the Mo tery manufacture at Bethabara. ravian Records and describes the types of clay and their uses. Newkirk, Judith 1977 Archeological Excavations within the 1975b Excavations at the Vierling House, Old Salem District: The Benjamin Vierling Old Salem. Unpublished manuscript. Old House and the Charles Alexander Cooper Salem, Inc., Winston-Salem, North Caro Shop, by Ned Woodall, Principal Investiga lina. tor and Judith Newkirk, Field Archeologist. A descriptive report on test excavations in Unpublished manuscript. Old Salem, Inc., the rear yard of the community doctor's Winston-Salem, North Carolina. house. The report discusses the use of im Noel Hume, Ivor ported and domestic ceramics and ex 197.3 Review of The Moravian Potters of plains methods of terracing the steep slope North Carolina by John Bivins, Jr. Histori to the rear of the house. cal Archaeology 7:87-90. 1975c Excavations on Lot 39, Old Salem. Un published manuscript. Old Salem, Inc., au tlaw, Alain C. Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 1974 Preliminary Excavations at the Mount Shepherd Pottery Site. The Conference on A descri pti ve report on the search for a Historic Site Archaeology Papers 9:2-12. pottery kiln. While the kiln was not lo cated, the search produced information An illustrated article on the excavation of concerning a dwelling. the kiln of an unidentified potter that pro duced stove tiles, smoking pipes, utilitar 1975d Excavations at the Single Brothers ian earthenware, and decorated slipware. Workshop, Old Salem. Unpublished manu These wares are closely related to those script. Old Salem, Inc., Winston-Salem, prod uced at the Moravian towns. North Carolina. A report describing structural details and Parham, David W. materials recovered, to aid in the recon 1978 The Decline of the Bethlehem Pottery struction of the structure. Industry in Wachovia: An Archaeological and Historical Study.

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