Robbie Ethridge

Constructing histories: archaic freshwater shell mounds and social landscapes of the St. Johns River, Florida

for locals, thus giving agency to things of the past that are significant to this present landscape. Dawdy also introduces the concept of “rupture,” an event that shatters the dire connectedness of the past and present. Beyond New Orleans and the rupture of Hurricane Katrina in general, St. Louis Cathedral is described as having a timeless stance in history, even after being continually repaired with each successive rupture and with each additional layer of patina. With time comes the cyclic nature of decay and rebirth, and this can be seen with urban fills of social stratigraphy especially in places like the Rising Sun Hotel. Dawdy opens Chapter 3, “A Haunted House Society,” with insight into the excavation and aftermath of Madame John’s Legacy house, showing that the aging of houses and the antiquity of New Orleans was done purposefully. She argues that the genealogy of New Orleans is associated more with habitation traditions than familial kinship, and shows this through use of local voices. She presents the mana, or sensational “feeling,” of New Orleans as a palimpsest; over time, the layering of New Orleans’ history has formed as social stratigraphy giving an aura of this peculiar heritage. Additionally, this chapter contrasts historic ghosttours for visitors with the actual ghost stories of locals. These “stories” possess a certain mana that allows locals to trace hidden and deeper meanings of the landscape that visitors cannot. Dawdy extends the persona of New Orleans by drawing on its French qualities in Chapter 4. More broadly, Dawdy notices that what draws people to New Orleans is the erotic exoticism of the Other that is distinctly unique from any other place in the United States. Archaeologically, the question of how small objects – rouge pots, perfume and cosmetic jars – evoke memories, seduce, and bind a person to a place in time is examined through the establishment of brothels. Beyond this, the appeal to own said French items was intriguing both economically and visually for the owner. These small items allowed locals to establish themselves with a higher social status as this material culture distinguishes locals from visitors in this complex stratigraphy. Perfumes and antiques also play into the sex appeal of New Orleans as scents and heirlooms can evoke emotional connections to another time and place, bringing the bearer into a sensual nostalgia that encompasses the entire body. Chapter 5, “The Antique Fetish,” covers how artifacts acquire value and also examines the difference between heirloom and souvenir. Dawdy captures this urge to worship the “oldness” of New Orleans through the local narrative, as storytelling can easily make an artifact into a valuable antique passed down from generation to generation. Souvenirs, on the other hand, often take shape with a fake patina, making the object look old so that unknowing visitors buy an overpriced “artifact.” In particular, a toy pipe designed to blow bubbles instead of smoke or plastic Mardi Gras beads made to resemble glass beads are some of the most common fake patinated souvenirs. The fetish with the exotic pastness of New Orleans stems from a sensual experience that brings a person back in time to a distinct memory. The final chapter presents a concise summary of the previous five chapters while also emphasizing the “good-time” feeling one perceives while being in New Orleans. Here, Dawdy reiterates the possibility of negative patina through too much trauma and rupture, yet a nostalgic haze gathers over this city. Reminding the audience that this is an archaeological piece, Dawdy concludes with personifying patinated material culture as alive, thriving, and that “artifacts often have longer lives as collectivities than people do” (p. 153), showing that even when the people of New Orleans are dead and gone, their legacy through their exotic, antique, and patinated artifacts will live on. Dawdy’sPatina is a worth-while read for those that desire to examine ruins, or a city in general, through a patinated lens. But beyond that, this piece of archaeology utilizes ethnographic and archaeological methodology to evidence the local voice, the material culture, and the nostalgic aura of what New Orleans contains. Dawdy realizes that this piece is against mainstream archaeology, calling it a “profane” and irreverent examination of the ideological, social and sacred value of mundane things. The development of combining these aforementioned techniques, however, is revolutionary and allows the archaeological context to become more humane, drawing the reader to turn the page faster and faster, ending the book with a new appreciation for the layers of culture that develop throughout one’s life.

Reflections on the long nineteenth century and Indian Removal

Those of us who study American Indian history have long worked with a different set of chronological parameters and periodicities than conventional historians of American history. Transitions in Na...