Date of Award

12-2017

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Anthropology

First Advisor

Dr. Michael S. Nassaney

Second Advisor

Dr. LouAnn Wurst

Third Advisor

Dr. José Brandão

Keywords

Archaeology, fur trade, alcohol consumption, Native Americans, anthropology

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Alcohol is one of the most misunderstood commodities used by both Native Americans and Europeans during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in North America. Although documentary sources are available, they can often provide conflicting information on the frequency of alcohol trade and its context of consumption. The archaeological record must be examined in conjunction with the primary and secondary sources to better understand alcohol consumption during this time. My research is conducted to answer the question: what patterns emerge when comparing the archaeological record to the documentary record concerning Native alcohol consumption in the seventeenth and eighteenth century fur trade of New France? In this study, I examine the artifact collections from twelve archaeological sites, specifically the light blue-green and olive green container glass. These sites range in age from the early seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth century and are located in four areas across New France. They are ideal sites to examine patterns of alcohol trade across time due to their context, age, and the presence of alcohol-related materials. Primary and secondary sources will be used to collect information on contact relationships, trade interactions, and alcohol consumption. By analyzing these contexts, I assess patterns of alcohol consumption in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to determine if these patterns are supported or contradicted by the literature. I expect that the archaeological record will present patterns of alcohol consumption that differ from those in the documents from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century.

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