This virtual exhibit presents a variety of archaeological, architectural, documentary, and material culture evidence from the Muhlenberg family—providing a window on the consumption and disposability practices of early Americans. On its own, any one of these types of evidence provides only part of the story. Together, a more complete understanding emerges that allows us to reconstruct a more accurate picture of the past.
For more information on the people and objects discussed in this exhibit, a list of recommended websites and readings is included below.
Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology
Philadelphia Archaeology Forum
For Further Reading
Bushman, Richard L. The Refinement of America: Persons, Houses, Cities. New York: Vintage Books, 1992.
Carson, Barbara G. Ambitious Appetites: Dining, Behavior, and Patterns of Consumption in Federal Washington. Washington, D.C.: American Institute of Architects Press, 1990.
De Cunzo, Lu Ann and Bernard L. Herman, eds. Historical Archaeology and the Study of American Culture. Winterthur, Del.: Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, 1996.
Deetz, James. In Small Things Forgotten: The Archaeology of Early American Life. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.
Hume, Ivor Noël. A Guide to Artifacts of Colonial America. 1969; reprint, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001.
Larkin, Jack. “From ‘Country Mediocrity’ to ‘Rural Improvement’: Transforming the Slovenly Countryside in Central Massachusetts, 1775–1840.” In Everyday Life in the Early Republic, ed. Catherine E. Hutchins, pp. 175–200. Winterthur, Del.: Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, 1994.
Minardi, Lisa. Pastors & Patriots: The Muhlenberg Family of Pennsylvania. Collegeville, Pa.: Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College, 2011.
Norton, Marcy. Sacred Gifts, Profane Pleasures: A History of Tobacco and Chocolate in the Atlantic World. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008.
Shackel, Paul A. and Barbara J. Little, eds. Historical Archaeology of the Chesapeake. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1994.
Skerry, Janine E. and Suzanne Findlen Hood. Salt-glazed Stoneware in Early America. Williamsburg, Va.: Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 2009.
Spencer-Wood, Suzanne, ed. Consumer Choice in Historical Archaeology. New York: Plenum Press, 1987.
Strasser, Susan. Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash. New York: Metropolitan Books, 1999.
Weaver, William Woys. Pennsylvania Dutch Country Cooking. New York: Abbeville Press, 1993.
Yentsch, Anne Elizabeth. A Chesapeake family and their slaves: A study in historical archaeology. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Yentsch, Anne Elizabeth and Mary C. Beaudry, eds. The Art and Mystery of Historical Archaeology: Essays in Honor of James Deetz. Boca Raton, Fl.: CRC Press, 1992.
1. Meet the Muhlenbergs 2. Cooking 3. Dining 4. Smoking 5. Drinking 6. Further Resources
Return to Trash in Early America
Disposable America 