Submission Date

4-28-2025

Document Type

Paper

Department

Anthropology

Adviser

Katharine Davis

Committee Member

Tristan Ashcroft

Committee Member

Lauren Wynne

Department Chair

Lauren Wynne

Project Description

The following project includes both a comprehensive site report on the archaeological field school hosted by Ursinus College and Historic Trappe in the summer of 2024, as well as spatial representations and analysis of colonial window glass distribution over the excavation units. Descriptions of the results of this archaeological investigation aim to expand on the body of knowledge concerning the Muhlenberg general store and the Speaker’s House property where the field school was conducted. An exploration of liminality and archaeological boundaries provides a lens into the structural nature of the general store zone as well as its colonial-era functions. In-depth discussion of colonial waste practices provides further insight into how colonial-era waste sheds light on the general store experience for both residents of the Speaker’s House and store customers. Using ArcGIS Pro software, spatial representations of window glass found during the 2024 field school display patterns suggesting the presence of windows along the back wall of the general store. These results serve as a reference for future historical and archaeological research, but also inform future restoration decisions as part of continued efforts by Historic Trappe to restore the Speaker’s House to its colonial-period character and appearance.

Download

Share

COinS