Michael S. Nassaney – Författare

Nassaney draws together an amazing amount of information about the fur trades that once existed in North America and includes illuminating and imaginative interpretations of archaeological data by researchers from across the continent.”—Gregory A. Waselkov, author of A Conquering Spirit: Fort Mims and the Redstick War of 1813–1814  “The Archaeology of the North American Fur Trade demonstrates how an amazing number of issues constellate around the subject: the mutual effects of cultural interaction, colonialism, world-systems theory, questions about dependence and local autonomy, consumer motivations, substantivism and formalism, creolization, underwater archaeology, gender, the politics of heritage and commemoration, indigenous perspectives, and present-day ramifications.”—Kurt A. Jordan, author of The Seneca Restoration, 1715–1754  “Provides new means to interpret and enhance existing fur trade sites and parks and to discover and evaluate sites that should be preserved.”—Douglas C. Wilson, historical archaeologist for the National Park Service The North American fur trade left an enduring material legacy of the complex interactions between natives and Europeans. From the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries, the demand for pelts and skins transformed America, helping to fuel the Age of Discovery and, later, Manifest Destiny.By synthesizing its social, economic, and ideological effects, Michael Nassaney reveals how this extractive economy impacted the settlement and exploitation of North America. Examinations of the objects made, used, and discarded in the course of the fur trade provide insight into the relationships between participants and their lifeways. Furthermore, Nassaney shows how the ways in which exchange was conducted, resisted, and transformed to suit various needs left an indelible imprint upon the American psyche, particularly in the way the fur trade has been remembered and commemorated.Including research from historical archaeologists and a case study of the Fort St. Joseph trading post in Michigan, this innovative work highlights the fur trade’s role in the settlement of the continent, its impact on social relations, and how its study can lead to a better understanding of the American experience.

Fort St. Joseph Revealed is the first synthesis of archaeological and documentary data on one of the most important French colonial outposts in the western Great Lakes region. Located in what is now Michigan, Fort St. Joseph was home to a flourishing fur trade society from the 1680s to 1781. Material evidence of the site―lost for centuries―was discovered in 1998 by volume editor Michael Nassaney and his colleagues, who summarize their extensive excavations at the fort and surrounding areas in these essays.Contributors analyze material remains including animal bones, lead seals, smudge pits, and various other detritus from daily life to reconstruct the foodways, architectural traditions, crafts, trade, and hide-processing methods of the fur trade. They discuss the complex relationship between the French traders and local Native populations, who relied on each other for survival and forged links across their communities through intermarriage and exchange, even as they maintained their own cultural identities. Faunal remains excavated at the site indicate the French quickly adopted Native cuisine, as they were unable to transport perishable goods across long distances. Copper kettles and other imported objects from Europe were transformed by Native Americans into decorative ornaments such as tinkling cones, and French textiles served as a medium of stylistic expression in the multi-ethnic community that developed at Fort St. Joseph. Featuring a thought-provoking look at the award-winning public archaeology program at the site, this volume will inspire researchers with the potential of community-based service-learning initiatives to tap into the analytical power at the interface of history and archaeology.

The North American fur trade left an enduring material legacy of the complex interactions between natives and Europeans. From the sixteenth through nineteenth centuries, the demand for pelts and skins transformed America, helping to fuel the Age of Discovery and, later, Manifest Destiny.By synthesizing its social, economic, and ideological effects, Nassaney reveals how this extractive economy contributed to the American experience. Including research from historical archaeologists and a case study of the Fort St. Joseph trading post in Michigan, this innovative work highlights the fur trade’s role in the settlement of the continent and its impact, persisting even today, on social relations.

Fort St. Joseph Revealed is the first synthesis of archaeological and documentary data on one of the most important French colonial outposts in the western Great Lakes region. Located in what is now Michigan, Fort St. Joseph was home to a flourishing fur trade society from the 1680s to 1781. Material evidence of the site—lost for centuries—was discovered in 1998 by volume editor Michael Nassaney and his colleagues, who summarize their extensive excavations at the fort and surrounding areas in these essays.Contributors analyze material remains including animal bones, lead seals, smudge pits, and various other detritus from daily life to reconstruct the foodways, architectural traditions, crafts, trade, and hide-processing methods of the fur trade. They discuss the complex relationship between the French traders and local Native populations, who relied on each other for survival and forged links across their communities through intermarriage and exchange, even as they maintained their own cultural identities. Faunal remains excavated at the site indicate the French quickly adopted Native cuisine, as they were unable to transport perishable goods across long distances. Copper kettles and other imported objects from Europe were transformed by Native Americans into decorative ornaments such as tinkling cones, and French textiles served as a medium of stylistic expression in the multi-ethnic community that developed at Fort St. Joseph. Featuring a thought-provoking look at the award-winning public archaeology program at the site, this volume will inspire researchers with the potential of community-based service-learning initiatives to tap into the analytical power at the interface of history and archaeology.Contributors: Rory J. Becker, Kelley M. Berliner, José António Brandão, Cathrine Davis, Erica A. D'Elia, Brock Giordano, RPA, Joseph Hearns, Allison Hoock, Mark W. Hoock, Erika Hartley, Terrance J. Martin, Eric Teixeira Mendes, Michael S. Nassaney, Susan K. Reichert.

An overview of archaeological research in Michigan that reveals the history of the state during the past four hundred yearsMichigan has long been an incubator for invention, technology, and creativity. This book explores this legacy through the historical archaeology of the past four hundred years in the state, illustrating how Michigan’s history reflects the broader American experience through themes of entrepreneurship, immigration, capitalism, and civil rights.Written by three archaeologists who have dedicated more than 75 years to research in the state, the chapters in this book describe the construction of encampments and fortifications that facilitated seventeenth-century European colonization, the rise of the fur trade and natural resource extraction, and the impact of land acquisition by white settlers who built farmsteads and logging camps in the nineteenth century. The authors examine Detroit’s urban development, revealing how industrial capitalism led to inequality and segregation. They also highlight the pivotal role of Michigan archaeologists within the discipline of historical archaeology.The archaeological findings discussed here, associated with Anishinaabe peoples, settler colonialism, immigrants, agriculture, industry, and urbanization, illustrate the distinct ways in which the American experience was lived in Michigan. The Historical Archaeology of Michigan brings together a wealth of information to show how Michigan’s people have maintained their sense of belonging and embraced their citizenship while adapting to economic, political, social, and cultural challenges.