Wine, yaman and stone: The archeology of a Russian hospital trash pit, Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka, Alaska
Blee CH. 1986. Wine, yaman and stone: The archeology of a Russian hospital trash pit, Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka, Alaska. NPS D-17. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Denver, Colorado
Archeological investigations at the Russian Bishop’s House in Sitka National Historical Park, Sitka, Alaska, uncovered the remains of a seven-foot square, wood-lined pit filled with trash. The trash dated to ca. 1860, and consisted of over 11,000 artifacts, 12 kg of food bone, remnants of clothing and leather, charcoal, and organic materials. Analysis of these remains has provided a rich comparative collection of items used by the Russians at the end of the occupation of Alaska. Data are examined from both the historic and archeological record regarding: the material culture of the late Russian period; processes of trash pit formation; Russian medical practices; the socioeconomic conditions exemplified by the trash; and provisioning of New Archangel. This report details the cultural material found in the trash pit and discusses the implications for a new understanding of life in mid-nineteenth century Sitka, Alaska. Spending three years analyzing artifacts and trying to find comparable collections in Alaska emphasized to us that this report can make a significant contribution to the archeological study of Russian America.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Blee, Catherine
- Date of Issue
- 1986-11
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- HIST , SITK , WRST
- Keywords
- Archeological Excavations, CRBIB, Cultural Resources, ehistory, historic artifacts, History, Russian america, Sitka