The Archaeology of Class War: The Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1913-1914 [Hardcover]

Randall H. McGuire (Author, Editor), Karin Larkin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 15, 2009

The Archaeology of the Colorado Coalfield War Project has conducted archaeological investigations at the site of the Ludlow Massacre in Ludlow, Colorado, since 1996. With the help of the United Mine Workers of America and funds from the Colorado State Historical Society and the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities, the scholars involved have integrated archaeological finds with archival evidence to show how the everyday experiences of miners and their families shaped the strike and its outcome. The Archaeology of Class War weaves together material culture, documents, oral histories, landscapes, and photographs to reveal aspects of the strike and life in early twentieth-century Colorado coalfields unlike any standard documentary history. Excavations at the site of the massacre and the nearby town of Berwind exposed tent platforms, latrines, trash dumps, and the cellars in which families huddled during the attack. Myriad artifacts - from canning jars to a doll's head - reveal the details of daily existence and bring the community to life. The Archaeology of Class War will be of interest to archaeologists, historians, and general readers interested in mining and labor history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Archaeology of Class War has much to recommend it, especially to specialists in Colorado, labor and industrial, ethnic, and gender history." --Center for Colorado & the West

"The Archaeology of Class War provides an important way of looking at a tragic episode in America's past. The volume provides several excellent examples of the study of material culture and the working class." --Paul A. Shackel, Plains Anthropologist

About the Author

Karin Larkin acted as director of the Colorado Coalfield Archaeology project for three years, and now lectures on museum studies at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Randall H, McGuire, professor of anthropology at Binghamton University, is an archaeologist whose interests lie in the development of power relations in the past.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Colorado (November 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870819550
• ISBN-13: 978-0870819551
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,544,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)