A Look at Those Underrepresented in the History Books: Historical Archaeology Conducted at Fort Sherman
Additional Funding Sources
The project described was supported by a student grant from the UI Office of Undergraduate Research.
Presentation Date
7-2021
Abstract
In the summer of 2021 the University of Idaho conducted an archaeological field school on the grounds of North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The grounds are also the former location of Fort Sherman, a nineteenth century military installation that, in turn, was built on ancestral lands of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Project objectives were to determine if evidence of Ft. Sherman still existed on the campus grounds and second what could be learned about life at the fort. A particular interest was if evidence could be uncovered about underrepresented populations, such as women, children, and African-American soldiers living at the fort. This poster summarizes the field work and lab activities that has so far resulted in cataloging of over 700 artifacts. Preliminary findings indicate some success at recovering evidence of Ft. Sherman. The majority of the recovered artifacts were architectural debris, but also small amounts of other materials such as meal remains that may provide more insight into daily life at the fort.
A Look at Those Underrepresented in the History Books: Historical Archaeology Conducted at Fort Sherman
In the summer of 2021 the University of Idaho conducted an archaeological field school on the grounds of North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The grounds are also the former location of Fort Sherman, a nineteenth century military installation that, in turn, was built on ancestral lands of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Project objectives were to determine if evidence of Ft. Sherman still existed on the campus grounds and second what could be learned about life at the fort. A particular interest was if evidence could be uncovered about underrepresented populations, such as women, children, and African-American soldiers living at the fort. This poster summarizes the field work and lab activities that has so far resulted in cataloging of over 700 artifacts. Preliminary findings indicate some success at recovering evidence of Ft. Sherman. The majority of the recovered artifacts were architectural debris, but also small amounts of other materials such as meal remains that may provide more insight into daily life at the fort.