Historical Archaeology of the American West Series
176 pages
36 illustrations, 1 map
"James, historic preservation officer for Nevada, brings to life the story of legendary gold rush-era Virginia City from its origin through its heyday. Just as compellingly and significantly, James walks readers through the archaeological process to provide a remarkably interesting journey through how the diggings take place and how archaeologists interpret the past from the material culture that they uncover."—T Maxwell-Long, Choice
List of Illustrations
List of Maps
Acknowledgements
Introduction Twenty-one bits of glass, historical archaeology, and the meaning of the West
Chapter 1 Gold and silver!
Chapter 2 A crowded city on the mining frontier
Chapter 3 An Irish blacksmith and the archaeology of belief
Chapter 4 The Chinese
Chapter 5 Saloons and the archaeology of leisure
Chapter 6 Women on the mining frontier
Chapter 7 Kids on the Comstock
Chapter 8 Piper’s Opera House and the archaeology of theater
Chapter 9 Death and the material culture of the final chapter
Epilogue Breathing meaning into the past
Notes
Bibliography
Index