Exploring the Archaeology of the Modern City in Nineteenth-century Australia

This book presents research into the urban archaeology of 19th-century Australia. It focuses on the detailed archaeology of 20 cesspits in The Rocks area of Sydney and the Commonwealth Block site in Melbourne. It also includes discussions of  a significant site in Sydney – First Government House.  The book is anchored around a detailed comparison of contents of 20 cesspits  created  during the 19^th century,   and examines patterns of similarity and dissimilarity, presenting  analyses that work towards an integration of  historical and archaeological data and perspectives. The book also outlines a  transnational framework of comparison  that assists in the larger context related to  building a truly global archaeology of the modern city.

This framework is directly  related a multi-scalar approach to urban archaeology.  Historical archaeologists have been advocating the need to explore the archaeology of the modern city using several different scales or frames of reference. The most popular (and most basic) of these has been the household. However, it has also been acknowledged that interpreting the archaeology of households beyond the notion that every household and associated archaeological assemblage is unique requires archaeologists and historians to compare and contrast, and to establish patterns. These comparisons frequently occur at the level of the area or district in the same city, where archaeologists seek to derive patterns that might be explained as being the result of status, class, ethnicity, or ideology. Other less frequent comparisons occur at larger scales, for example between cities or countries, acknowledging that the archaeology of the modern western city is also the archaeology of modern global forces of production, consumption, trade, immigration and ideology formation. This book makes a contribution to that general literature

“Exploring the Archaeology of the Modern City in Nineteenth-Century Australia will be of interest to readers seeking or open to considering a more integrated approach between the use of historical documentation and archaeological assemblages, as well as those specifically interested in the state of play regarding research of the Cumberland and Gloucester Streets site and the Commonwealth Block.” (Stephen Muller, Australian Archaeology, February 17, 2021)

“Nominated for the 2020 Graham Connah Award for Best Archaeological Publication in Australasia”

Tim Murray is Charles La Trobe Professor of Archaeology at La Trobe University. As a practicing archaeologist with an interest in history and epistemology, his research and publication have focused on the history and philosophy of archaeology, the archaeology of the modern world and heritage archaeology. His most recent books include World Antiquarianism Comparative Perspectives (co-edited with Alain Schnapp, Lothar von Falkenhausen and Peter Miller, Getty Research Institute, 2013), An Archaeology of Institutional Confinement: The Hyde Park Barracks, 1848–1886 (co-authored with Peter Davies and Penny Crook, Sydney University Press, 2013), From Antiquarian to Archaeologist: The History and Philosophy of Archaeology (Pen and Sword Press, 2014) and The Commonwealth Block, Melbourne: A Historical Archaeology (co-authored with Kristal Buckley, Sarah Hayes, Geoff Hewitt, Justin McCarthy, Richard Mackay, Barbara Minchinton, Charlotte Smith, Jeremy Smith and Bronwyn Woff, Sydney University Press 2019) . His current projects are based around the general theme of transnational archaeologies in the long nineteenth century, with particular focus on ‘contact’ archaeology, urban archaeology and technology transfer, and demonstrating the importance of the history of archaeology for building more robust archaeological theory.

Penny Crook is a research fellow at La Trobe University. She is a historical archaeologist and specialist in the analysis of nineteenth century material culture in Australia and the United Kingdom. Her most recent book is An Archaeology of Institutional Confinement: The Hyde Park Barracks, 1848–1886 (co-authored with Peter Davies and Tim Murray, Sydney University Press, 2013).