Date of Award

8-2010

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Historical Archaeology

First Advisor

Christa Beranek

Second Advisor

Stephen Mrozowski

Third Advisor

Heather Trigg

Abstract

This thesis looked at the elite status of cultivating gentlemen at the site of the Gore Place greenhouse through the medium of planting pots. The goal of this thesis was to analyze the planting pot remains and to subsequently answer three questions: what kinds of activities were performed in the greenhouse, who was conducting those activities, and most importantly, how they played in to Christopher Gore's self presentation as having elite status. This project analyzed over 2,000 pot sherds found during the excavation of the 1806 Gore Place greenhouse. The outcome of a minimum vessel count of the planting pots resulted in 150 distinct vessels exhibiting six different rim styles, in a wide range of sizes, shapes and decoration. The results of the research show that while gentlemen farmers applied their agricultural ideals on their fields, they also extended those principles to the activities within the greenhouse. The intensive horticultural activities conducted within the greenhouse are reflected archaeologically by the presence of specific pot styles associated with propagation.

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