Description
Book SynopsisJoseph M. Bagley, the city archaeologist of Boston, uncovers a fascinating hodgepodge of history—from ancient fishing grounds to Jazz Age red-light districts—that will surprise and delight even longtime residents. Each artifact is shown in full color with a description of the item’s significance to its site location and Boston’s larger history. From cannonballs to drinking cups and from ancient spears to chinaware, A History of Boston in 50 Artifacts offers a unique and accessible introduction to Boston’s history and physical culture while revealing the ways objects can offer a tantalizing entrée into our past. Packed with vivid descriptions and art, this lively history of Boston will appeal to all manner of readers, locals, and visitors alike. This new edition showcases an important fact which has come to light since its first publication, that a chapter about a cat has now been shown to be a dog, thus demonstrating the perils of the archaeologist.
Trade Review"Bagley is wry and witty . . . demonstrating superior deductive skills and rousing the public to see the value of their past around them."-- "New Boston Post" "City archaeologist Bagley has a special way of bringing Boston's evolution to life. In A History of Boston in 50 Objects, Bagley delivers a tangible take on our past through a collection of stunning portraits of things that have been unearthed here."-- "Boston Magazine"
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction PART 1: SHAWMUT: THE TIME BEFORE BOSTON (12,000–400 BP) 1. Mattapan Banded Rhyolite 2. Neville Point 3. Fishweir Stakes 4. Native Pottery 5. Fish Spear 6. Massachusett Weaving 7. Arrowhead PART 2: PURITANICAL FOUNDATIONS (1629–1700) 8. Trade Weight 9. Stone from Great House 10. Portuguese Plate 11. Chamber Pot 12. Whipworm Egg 13. Sleeve 14. Bowling Ball 15. Plate 16. Child’s Shoe 17. Fruit Pits 18. Bellarmine Bottle 19. Lace 20. Red-Clay Pipe PART 3: FROM COLONIST TO REBEL (1700–1775) 21. Cat Skeleton 22. Whizzer 23. Porcelain Tea Bowl and Saucer 24. Redware Waster 25. Parker-Harris Mug 26. Bottle Seal 27. Soldering Iron 28. Teapot PART 4: CONFLICT AND WAR (1765–1783) 29. Gunflint 30. Bar Shot 31. Charcoal 32. Powder House Brick PART 5: A CHANGING CITY IN A CHANGING WORLD (1780–1983) 33. Massachusetts Cent 34. Sail Needle 35. Tortoiseshell Comb 36. Shell-Edge Pearlware 37. Cowbell 38. Nib 39. New York Militia Button 40. Vaginal Syringe 41. Love Token 42. Horse Blinder 43. Rock and Tar Bottle 44. Hebrew Prayer Book 45. Lady’s Wallet 46. Comb 47. Red Sox Pin 48. Cop and Robber Toy and Bell 49. Lipstick 50. Showtime Token Conclusion: The Future of Archaeology in Boston Appendix Notes Bibliography Index
