Abstract
An analysis of eight artifact collections from mining-related communities in the North American West sheds light on the manifestation of gender in the archaeological record. Saloons and brothels served similar functions in the mining boom-towns, often overlapping. A critical difference between the two types of collections lies in who was selecting the material culture: men or women. Women’s contributions to the archaeological assemblages of sporting establishments can be identified by items specific to them, as well as by relatively high percentages of pharmaceuticals. High frequencies of armaments and generic personal items in the brothels may have more to do with the specific activities taking place in the brothels than with gender. The importance of distinguishing between the brothels and saloons is examined in the context of feminist theory.
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Spude, C.H. Brothels and Saloons: An Archaeology of Gender in the American West. Hist Arch 39, 89–106 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03376679
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03376679