University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 5-1991 Nailing Down the Pattern in Historical Archaeology Amy L. Young University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Young, Amy L., "Nailing Down the Pattern in Historical Archaeology. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1991. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/1240 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Amy L. Young entitled "Nailing Down the Pattern in Historical Archaeology." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in Anthropology. Charles H. Faulkner, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Walter Klippel, Lyle Konigsberg, Gerald Schroedl Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the G�aduate Council: I am submitting he�ewlth a thesis w�ltten by Amy L. Young entitled "Nailing Down the Patte�n in Histo�lcal A�chaeo 1 ogy. •• I have examined the fina 1 copy of this thesis fo� fo�m and content and �ecommend that lt be accepted in pa�tlal fulfillment of the �equl�ements fo� the deg�ee Maste� of A�ts. with a maJo� ln Anth�opology. Cha�les H. Faulkne�. Majo� P�ofesso� We have �ead this thesis and �ecommend lts acceptance: Accepted fo� the Council: Associate Vlce Chancello� and Dean of the G�aduate School STATEMENT OF PERMISSION TO USE In present ing thls thesis in part ial fu l fillment of the requi rements for a Master's degree at The University of Tennessee, Knoxvil le, I agree that the Library shal l make It avai lable to borrowers under the rules of the Library. Brief quotat i ons from this thesis are allowab le without spec ial permission, prov ided that accurate acknowledgment of the source ls made . Permission for ex tensive quotat ion from or reproduct ion of th is thesis may be granted by my maJ or professor , or ln his absence , by the Head of Inter library Serv ices wh en, in the op inion of either, the proposed use of the mater ial is for scholarly purposes . Any copying or use of the material in th is thesis for financial ga in shal l no t be al lowed without my wr itten permission. t2;:a a...Je.. �(j Signature tif .Pl Date 23 {)):,4• R 199! Requests for permission for extensive quotat ion from or reproduction of th is thesis In who le or In parts may be granted by the copyr ight hol der . ' .. .., :.: NAILING DOWN THE PATT ERN IN HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY A Thesis Presented for the Master of Arts Degree The Un l verslty of Tennessee , Knoxv ille Amy L. Young May 1991 ACKNOWLEDGEM ENTS I would like to thank my maJor professor , Dr . Char les H. Faulkner for hls guidance and pat ience . I wou ld also like to thank the other members of the commi ttee , Dr . Gerald Schroedl, Dr. Wal ter Kl ippel , and Dr . Ly le Kon i gsberg for the ir thoughtful suggest ions. I wou ld like to express my grat i tude to Ph i l, for help and good humor In the field, and for reading and re-read ing this manuscr ipt. My grati tude also goes to my sons, Chr istopher and Nichol as for the ir cheers on encouragemen t, and to Hank McKe lway for cr itical comments and he lp with the figures In the text . I also thank Spence Meyers for his carpentry sk ills. I wou ld like to thank Dr . Robert L. Ke l ly for hls Invaluable advice. The Ol iver nai ls used ln th ls thesis were recovered dur ing excavations of three sites on the Pe l lissippi Parkway Ex tension, Knox County, Tennessee . The Ol iver slte Invest igat ions were funded by the Federal Highway Admln lstratlon and Tennessee Department of Transpor tat ion <ProJ ect Number 470 50-1219-04> . il ABSTRACT Th is study suggests that middl e-range research has an Impor tant rol e to play In historical archaeology . Th ree mode ls are devel oped for interpreting nai l assemb lages from 19th and 20 th century contexts. Al l models are based upon ethnoarchaeology , experimental archaeology, and direct observations of nai ls operat ing ln the ir systemic contexts. Th e first mode l al lows for discriminat ing between a nai l assemb lage from an ephemeral structure slte and an assemb lage from a dump si te. Th e second mode l enables the archaeologist to ident ify wh ether a bu ilding was Jog, timber frame , or bal loon frame construction. The th ird mode l Is designed to discr iminate between nai l assemb lages wh ere structures were torn down to recycle the lumber and structures dismantled and materials discarded. These mode ls are used to interpret nai ls from two East Tennessee archaeological si tes. It is concl uded that such middle-range research ls an effect ive aid for Interpret ing historic site format ion processes . 111 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. Middle-range Theory ln Historical Archaeol ogy 1 II. Dump Sites and Bu lldlng Si tes 16 III. Log, Timber Frame , and Bal loon Frame Structures 26 IV. Recyc ling and Discarding Behav ior 51 V. Two Archaeological Examp les: The Glbbs House Slte and the Ol iver Si te 61 VI . Conc lusions 78 References Ci ted 82 VIta 89 lv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1 Observed and Expected Frequencies of Unaltered <u>. Pu tted <p> , and Cl inched <c> Nal ls from Modern <Ethnoarchaeotoglcat > Dump s 21 2.2 Observed and Expected Frequenc ies of Una l tered <u>. Pu lled (p), and Cl i nched <c> Na l ls from Archaeological Bu lldlng Sites 22 2.3 Observed and Expected Frequenc ies of Unal tered <u>, Pu tt ed <p>. and Cl inched <c> Nal ls for the Construction Sites and Ethnoarchaeotoglcat Dump Sites 23 3.1 Nal ls from the Log Bu ildings 32 3.2 Na l ls from the Timber Frame Structures 34 3.3 Na l ls from the Ba l loon Frame Structures 36 3.4 Summary of Percentages of Nai l Lengths From Al l Bu ildings Surveyed 37 3.5 Conversions to Na l ls Per Square Foot For Each Functional Category For Eight Bu ildings Surveyed 41 3.6 Na l ls from the Garner Si te Outbui lding 44 3.7 Frequencies of Garner Na l ls ln Functional Categor ies Compared to Log , Timber , and Bal loon Frame Models 47 3.8 Nal ls from Locust Grove Cabi n 48 3.9 Frequenc ies of Locust Grove Na l ls ln Functional Categor ies 48 4.1 Mean He ights for Slx. Eight , and Ten Penny Nal ls 54 4.2 Mean Curve He ights for 1/2 and 1 Inch Board Th i ckness 55 v 4.3 Mean Curve Heights for Pul ling Method 55 4.4 General Linear Models Procedures 56 4.5 Mean He ights for Pennywe ight by Board Th ickness 57 4.6 Dlstrlbutlon of Na l ls ln AdJ usted Curve Height Categor ies for the Recycled and Discard Sites 59 5.1 Gibbs Nal ls versus Construction Sites 66 5.2 Gibbs Nal ls versus Dump Sltes 66 5.3 Frequencies of Na l ls In AdJ usted Curve He ight Categor ies for the Gibbs Assemb lage and for a Recycled Assemb lage 69 5.4 Frequencies of Unal tered <u> , Pulled (p), and Cl i nched <c> Nal ls of Ol iver and Construction Sites 71 5.5 Frequenc ies In Funct iona l Categor ies for Ol iver Nail Assemb lage and Log , Timber Frame , and Bal loon Frame Mode ls with Tin Roof 72 5.6 Fr equencies In Funct iona l Categor ies for Ol iver Na il Assemb lage and Timber Frame and Bal loon Frame Mode ls without Roof ing Na l ls 74 5.7 Frequenc ies of Nal ls In AdJ usted Curve He ight Categor ies for the Ol iver Assemb lage and for a Recyc led Assemb lage 75 vl LIST OF FIGURES Figures Page 3.1 Mode l for a 16 x 16 Foot Log Structure wl th Shake or Tln Roof 38 3.2 Mode l for a 16 x 16 Foot Timber Frame Structure wl th Shake or Tln Roof 39 3.3 Mode l for a 16 x 16 Foot Bal l oon Frame Structure wlth Shake or Tin Roof 40 3.4 Dlstrlbutlon of Nal ls ln Length Categor ies for the Garner Assemblage 45 3.5 Distribution of Nal ls ln Length Categor ies for the Garner Assemb lage Compared wi th Dlstrlbutlon for a Timber Frame Mode l 46 3.6 Distribution of Na lls In Length Categor ies for the Locust Grove Assemblage Compared wi th Dlstrlbutlon for a Log Structure Mode l 50 5.1 Dlstrlbutlon of Na lls In Un its ln Area D at the Gibbs House Slte 64 5.2 Frequencies of Nail Lengths from the Gibbs House Nal ls Compared with Al l Mode ls 68 5.3 Distribution of Na l ls ln Length Categor ies of Ol iver Nal ls and Log, Timber Frame , and Ba l loon Frame Mode ls wi th Tln Roof 73 vll CHAPTER I MIDDLE-RANGE TH EORY IN HISTOR ICAL ARCHAEOLOGY Introduct ion Binford descr ibed the archaeological record as a static document of events of the past ex isting in the present (Binford 1981 , 1983 , 1989 ).