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Finding History On Old Farms
Digging up prairie farmsteads that were abandoned in the 1930's and 1940's is a fun and interesting way to learn about how people lived nearly 100 years ago. It's also a good way for students to learn about the science of archaeology.
Associate professor Margaret Kennedy at the University of Saskatchewan sp
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Finding History On Old Farms MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 31-5-5 Digging up prairie farmsteads that were abandoned in the 1930's and 1940's is a fun and interesting way to learn about how people lived nearly 100 years ago. It's also a good way for students to learn about the science of archaeology.
Associate professor Margaret Kennedy at the University of Saskatchewan spent this past summer researching how drought and economic depression affected people in the "dirty thirties." She and her class are focusing on farmsteads in central Saskatchewan.
"Last summer, we carried out a dig of a homestead that was inhabited from about 1917 to 1930. In various dumps around the farm, we found many clues as to what kind of work was carried on there, as well as to diet, health care and consumption patterns of the family," Kennedy says. "When I begin work on a new homestead, I've already done extensive research into the homestead files, tax assessment records and local histories, as well as talking to anyone who might be knowledgeable about that area's history."
To locate suitable farmstead sites, the researchers sometimes use a combination of remote sensing devices and "shovel testing" to detect buried refuse or building remains. Then they lay a grid over the site and excavate those areas where buried items are likely to be found.
"I often wonder what the early farmers would think of their garbage being so carefully examined!" Kennedy laughs.
Researching early agricultural settlements provides practical experience for her students, and captures information that would otherwise be lost. "There's a rich history I'd like to record, and I also plan to interview people who lived through that time," she says.
Results of Kennedy's research will be compiled in reports and published articles. She'd also be willing to talk to any interested local communities about the work."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Homestead Archaeological Project, Margaret Kennedy, Dept. of Archaeology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada S7N 5B1 (ph 306 966-4182; fax 306 966-5640; marg.kennedy@ usask.ca).
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