From the Preface
The idea of preparing this book developed as I worked on my dissertation on slave archaeology. It became increasingly apparent to me as I did my own work that most of the research which was being done by others on the subject was being published in serials of very limited distribution, seriously inhibiting the disclosure of findings, especially to students and scholars in related fields. What was desperately needed, I realized, was a volume surveying the exciting new research being done throughout the American South and the Caribbean. More important, however, than simply making the literature available, the book should examine the nature and variety of the empirical data derived from this research, synthesize work contributed by investigators of diverse backgrounds and areal specializations, and raise questions for future investigation.
This is the result, the first collection of essays on plantation archaeology. It is intended to guide advanced students and professional archaeologists, but will be of interest to all students of the plantation system who seek to understand the byproducts associated with plantation settlement.