Abstract
Excavations in the 1970s at the ca. 1772 Heyward-Washington House in Charleston, South Carolina, produced a rich and diverse archaeological assemblage spanning the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Among the vertebrate remains are four bones from a large member of the parrot family. We now believe the bird was a blue-fronted or turquoise-fronted amazon parrot (Psittacidae: Amazona aestiva), an animal originating in South America. Over the decades, we have studied the zooarchaeological signature of social identity in Charleston, the evolving urban environment, and the vast trade networks of the colonial port city, all of which are embodied in the remains of this single bird. The parrot leads to a discussion of social roles of captive birds in early Charleston, the eclectic interests of city residents, and the city’s global trade networks.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Journal | Southeastern Archaeology |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Jan 1 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Amazon parrot
- pets
- social identity
- trade networks
- urban environments
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Archaeology
Cite this
What is this bird? The quest to identify parrot remains from the Heyward-Washington House, Charleston, South Carolina. / Zierden, Martha A.; Reitz, Elizabeth J.; Pavao-Zuckerman, Barnet; Reitsema, Laurie J.; Manzano, Bruce L.
In: Southeastern Archaeology, 01.01.2018.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - What is this bird? The quest to identify parrot remains from the Heyward-Washington House, Charleston, South Carolina
AU - Zierden, Martha A.
AU - Reitz, Elizabeth J.
AU - Pavao-Zuckerman, Barnet
AU - Reitsema, Laurie J.
AU - Manzano, Bruce L.
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - Excavations in the 1970s at the ca. 1772 Heyward-Washington House in Charleston, South Carolina, produced a rich and diverse archaeological assemblage spanning the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Among the vertebrate remains are four bones from a large member of the parrot family. We now believe the bird was a blue-fronted or turquoise-fronted amazon parrot (Psittacidae: Amazona aestiva), an animal originating in South America. Over the decades, we have studied the zooarchaeological signature of social identity in Charleston, the evolving urban environment, and the vast trade networks of the colonial port city, all of which are embodied in the remains of this single bird. The parrot leads to a discussion of social roles of captive birds in early Charleston, the eclectic interests of city residents, and the city’s global trade networks.
AB - Excavations in the 1970s at the ca. 1772 Heyward-Washington House in Charleston, South Carolina, produced a rich and diverse archaeological assemblage spanning the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Among the vertebrate remains are four bones from a large member of the parrot family. We now believe the bird was a blue-fronted or turquoise-fronted amazon parrot (Psittacidae: Amazona aestiva), an animal originating in South America. Over the decades, we have studied the zooarchaeological signature of social identity in Charleston, the evolving urban environment, and the vast trade networks of the colonial port city, all of which are embodied in the remains of this single bird. The parrot leads to a discussion of social roles of captive birds in early Charleston, the eclectic interests of city residents, and the city’s global trade networks.
KW - Amazon parrot
KW - pets
KW - social identity
KW - trade networks
KW - urban environments
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058235744&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85058235744&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/0734578X.2018.1555407
DO - 10.1080/0734578X.2018.1555407
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85058235744
JO - Southeastern Archaeology
JF - Southeastern Archaeology
SN - 0734-578X
ER -