Foodways, Economic Status, and the Antebellum Upland South in Central Kentucky Author(s): Tanya M. Peres Reviewed work(s): Source: Historical Archaeology, Vol. 42, No. 4 (2008), pp. 88-104 Published by: Society for Historical Archaeology Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25617531 . Accessed: 27/08/2012 14:46 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Society for Historical Archaeology is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Historical Archaeology. http://www.jstor.org 88 Tanya M. Peres of the upper class of society. These excavations were largely descriptive, with few exceptions, and added to the database of historic Economic Status, sites, Foodways, artifacts, and features of Kentucky. and the Antebellum Upland Investigations of historic period sites in have in volume and South inCentral Kentucky Kentucky steadily grown complexity since the late 1960s, and by the several full-scale excavations of ABSTRACT mid-1980s, sites from this time period were undertaken by archaeologists housed in government agen Regional cuisines or foodways have been a topic of interest cies Cabinet and to both historians and archaeologists for at least the past (i.e., Kentucky Transportation 30 years. Scholars recognize a regional foodway in the Kentucky Archaeology Survey), universities that is of antebellum Upland South part the larger "Upland (i.e., University of Kentucky and University South" cultural tradition. The and agricultural archaeological of Louisville), and private cultural resource data on subsistence in the antebellum Upland South have management firms (McBride and McBride been woven into an idealized set of subsistence practices a shift occurred from that revolved around agricultural practices. The examination 1990b). Analytically, of four contemporaneous faunal assemblages representative description of artifacts (late 1970s), to "syn of different societal classes living in 19th-century Kentucky thetic and methodological studies," to "detailed shows that this version of South food generalized Upland problem-oriented research designs" (McBride ways does not hold true across economic classes. Instead, a and McBride 1990b:560). Research topics closer look reveals that many people living on Kentucky's included settlement antebellum farmsteads struggled regularly for food security patterns, spatial organiza and that the idealized version of a shared "Upland South tion, household formation, ethnicity, economic was foodway" restricted to the wealthy planter class that development, subsistence strategies, and social had access to the market ready economy. and economic status differences (McBride and McBride 1990b: 560). Early analyses of faunal Introduction remains from historic sites in Kentucky date to the early and mid-1980s and focus on the col The earliest recorded historical archaeology in lection of basic data (for example, Fay 1980; Kentucky was conducted in 1936, when William Walters 1985). Emphases were placed on species S. Webb and William D. Funkhouser recorded lists, minimum numbers of individuals, edible evidence of saltpeter mining inMenifee County meat weights, and some taphonomic factors rockshelter sites (McBride and McBride 1990b). pertaining to sample formation. Many of the subsequent investigations of Ken The increased emphasis in historical archaeol tucky's historic sites in the 1960s and 1970s ogy placed on the study of foodways in general were conducted to aid the reconstruction of during the past three decades is evidenced by large plantations and urban residences, Civil War more systematic, comprehensive, and sophisti fortifications, and at least one mill site (McBride cated zooarchaeological analyses performed on and McBride 1990b, 1993). Investigations such Kentucky sites during the 1990s and into the as these were common in historical archaeol current decade. Sites like theWilliam Whitely ogy during this time, causing the discipline to House (Linebaugh and Loughlin 2003), Varde be viewed by some as a handmaiden to history man House (Madsen et al. 2005; Peres 2005), (Harrington 1955; Noel Hume 1969; Faulkner Duckworth Farm (Peres 2003a), Cowan Farm 2003). In the late 1970s, the recording of his stead (Peres 2003b; Huser and Lynch 2005), toric sites increased, in conjunction with cultural Armstrong Farmstead (Barber 2003), McCon resource management projects; however, many nell Homestead (Day and Clay 2000), Locust of these sites went unexcavated, with the excep Grove (Young 1995b, 1997; Lev-Tov 2004), and tion of a few sites associated with individuals Logan's Fort (Davenport 2000), among others, Historical Archaeology, 2008, 42(4):88-104. Permission to reprint required. Accepted for publication 15August 2007. TANYA M. PERES?Foodways, Economic Status, and the Antebellum Upland South inCentral Kentucky 89 have allowed zooarchaeologists the opportu historic documents of agricultural production nity to ask and answer questions pertaining to for the region. In contrast, archaeologists have consumer choice, temporal and socioeconomic tended to view Upland South foodways as shared variations in diet, farmstead economies, regional but differentiated among socioeconomic classes foodways, and ethnicity. and even ethnic groups, based on cuts of meat While some thematic topics have gained the as interpreted from faunal assemblages (Walters attention of Kentucky's historical archaeologists, 1985; Young 1993; McKelway 2000; Allgood and Kim McBride and Stephen McBride (1990a, Kirkwood 2002). As often happens with archae 1990b) emphasize the lack of attention to the ologists' views of the past, the foodways have topic of rural slavery in the antebellum period been woven into an idealized or romanticized (1820-1861). This is not surprising, given that view of what life was like for people living archaeology conducted pre-1990 at most historic in the past (Perkins 1991; Stothers and Tucker sites in the commonwealth was concerned with 2002; Cabak and Groover 2006). Upon further large urban residences and even larger planta examination, however, this generalized version tions. An exception is the multiyear excava of Upland South foodways does not hold true tion conducted at the Locust Grove plantation across economic classes that were represented near Louisville, Kentucky, by the University of in Kentucky during the 19th century. Instead, Louisville's Department of Anthropology. The a closer look reveals that many people living multiyear excavations produced information on Kentucky's antebellum farmsteads struggled about the slaves who lived at the site during regularly for food security and that the idealized the antebellum period (Young 1995a, 1995b, version of a shared Upland South foodway was 1997; Young et al. 1995, 1998). The data from restricted to the wealthy planter class that had the three slave houses and corresponding pit ready access to the market economy. cellars yielded important information on subsis tence strategies practiced by the slaves at Locust The Upland South Cultural Tradition Grove (Young 1995b, 1997; Lev-Tov 2004). Regional cuisines or foodways have been a The term "Upland South" has been used to topic of interest to historians and archaeologists signify a geographic and physiographic region, a alike (Hilliard 1969, 1972, 1988; Owens 1976; "highland way of life" (Jordan-Bychkov 2003:5), Reitz and Honerkamp 1983; Brown and Mussell an agricultural complex, and a cultural tradition 1984; Berlin and Morgan 1991, 1993; Young (Owsley 1949; Kniffen 1965; Mitchell 1972, 1993; Lev-Tov 1994; Singleton 1995; Patterson 1978; Newton 1974; McCorvie 1987; O'Brien 1998; Poe 1999, 2001; Scott 2001; Hodgetts and Majewski 1989; McBride and McBride 2006; Reitz et al. 2006). The focus of defin 1990b; Jordan-Bychkov 2003). Robert Mitch ing regional cuisines within an archaeological ell (1978) and Terry Jordan-Bychkov (2003) framework is useful because it allows for the describe the diffusion of different components recognition of patterns and trends; however, a of the Upland South cultural tradition from the large database from the circumscribed region primary "hearth areas" of the lower Delaware in question is needed to draw broad definitive River Valley, the Chesapeake Tidewater, and the conclusions on dietary patterning. Few would Carolina Low Country into the interior of the argue against the unique foodways that are part eastern United States and its eventual emergence of theAmerican South. In the antebellum period in Kentucky and Tennessee. The expression of of Kentucky, scholars recognize a regional this tradition in Kentucky and Tennessee was foodway that is part of the larger Upland South distinct from that in the Lower South?an area cultural tradition. known for the production of export crops such Historians and geographers (Bidwell and Fal as cotton, rice, and sugar as well as corn, cattle, coner 1925; Power 1953; Hilliard 1969, 1972, and mules. Additionally, the Lower South's 1988; Mitchell 1972, 1978; Mason 1984) have farming practices centered on vast plantations traditionally viewed Upland South foodways as worked by