Excavating Nauvoo: The Mormons and the Rise of Historical Archaeology in America

by Benjamin C. Pykles, Robert L. Schuyler (Foreword by)

Overview

This detailed study of the excavation and restoration of the city of Nauvoo, Illinois, takes readers back to the roots of historical archaeology. Beginning in the 1960s, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored an archaeology program to authentically restore the city of Nauvoo, which was founded along the Mississippi River in the 1840s by the Mormons as they moved west. Non-Mormon scholars were also interested in Nauvoo because it was representative of several western frontier towns in this era. As the archaeology and restoration of Nauvoo progressed, however, conflicts arose, particularly regarding control of the site and its interpretation for the public.



The field of historical archaeology was just coming into its own during this period, with myriad perspectives and doctrines being developed and tested. The Nauvoo site was one of the places where the discipline was forged. This well-researched account weaves together multiple viewpoints in examining the many contentious issues surrounding the archaeology and restoration of Nauvoo, providing an illuminating picture of the early days of professional historical archaeology.

​Benjamin C. Pykles is a historic sites curator for the Church History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Robert L. Schuyler is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and associate curator-in-charge of historical archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496202246
Publisher:	Nebraska
Publication date:	03/01/2018
Series:	Critical Studies in the History of Anthropology
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

​Benjamin C. Pykles is a historic sites curator for the Church History Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Robert L. Schuyler is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and associate curator-in-charge of historical archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. 

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations

Foreword by Robert L. Schuyler

Acknowledgments

Series Editors' Introduction

Introduction

1. The Origins of the Restoration of Nauvoo

2. The Rise of Nauvoo Restoration, Inc.

3. Interpretive Conflict at Nauvoo

4, Historical Archaeology at Nauvoo

5. The Nauvoo Excavations and the Development of Historical Archaeology in America

Appendix: Chronology of Nauvoo Excavations

Notes

Bibliography
 
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Historians and historical archaeologists alike will find Pykle's trailblazing work worthwhile."—Glen M. Leonard, Journal of Mormon History

Journal of Mormon History - Glen M. Leonard

“This thoughtful and carefully researched book, bolstered by many archival sources and oral histories, is an important reflection on the relatively young discipline of historical archaeology. Through the narrative of Nauvoo, Pykles teaches us much about the materials and materiality of the recent past and how identities take shape through stories we tell about that past, our ancestors, and our profession.”—Shannon A. Novak, Journal of Anthropological Research
 

Journal of Anthropological Research - Shannon A. Novak

“Pykles provides an evenhanded and fascinating glimpse into the use of historic preservation and archaeology as both a restoration and a proselytizing tool.”—Chris Merritt, Montana, The Magazine of Western History
 
 

Montana The Magazine of Western History - Chris Merritt

"Researchers interested in archaeological activities at Nauvoo and their contribution to the development of historical archaeology will find that Pykles has an excellent command of the documentary record supporting his analysis."—Carl A. Merry, Plains Anthropologist

Plains Anthropologist - Carl A. Merry

"Readers interested in the development of historical archaeology in the United States, in Mormon history, or in religious groups' struggles to control public perceptions of their past will find this book rewarding."—Stephen C. Taysom, Indiana Magazine of History

Indiana Magazine of History - Stephen C. Taysom

Researchers interested in archaeological activities at Nauvoo and their contribution to the development of historical archaeology will find that Pykles has an excellent command of the documentary record supporting his analysis.—Carl A. Merry, Plains Anthropologist

— Carl A. Merry

Plains Anthropologist

Readers interested in the development of historical archaeology in the United States, in Mormon history, or in religious groups' struggles to control public perceptions of their past will find this book rewarding.—Stephen C. Taysom, Indiana Magazine of History

— Stephen C. Taysom

Indiana Magazine of History

Pykles provides an even-handed and fascinating glimpse into the use of historic preservation and archaeology as both a restoration and a proselytizing tool.—Chris Merritt, Montana, The Magazine of Western History

— Chris Merritt

Montana The Magazine of Western History

This thoughtful and carefully researched book, bolstered by many archival sources and oral histories, is an important reflection on the relatively young discipline of historical archaeology. Through the narrative of Nauvoo, Pykles teaches us much about the materials and materiality of the recent past and how identities take shape through stories we tell about that past, our ancestors, and our profession.—Shannon A. Novak, Journal of Anthropological Research

— Shannon A. Novak

Journal of Anthropological Research

Historians and historical archaeologists alike will find Pykle's trailblazing work worthwhile.—Glen M. Leonard, Journal of Mormon History

— Glen M. Leonard

Journal of Mormon History