Industrial archaeology
Encyclopedia
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, is the study of material culture from the past, but with a focus on industry. Strictly speaking, industrial archaeology includes sites from the earliest times (such as prehistoric copper mining in the British Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
) to the most recent (such as coal mining sites in the UK closed in the 1980s). However, since large-scale industrialisation began only in the 18th century it is often understood to relate to that and later periods. Industrial archaeologists aim to record and understand the remains of industrialisation, including the technology, transport and buildings associated with manufacture or raw material production. Their work encompasses traditional archaeology, engineering, architecture, economics and the social history of manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
/extractive industry
Liquid-liquid extraction
Liquid–liquid extraction, also known as solvent extraction and partitioning, is a method to separate compounds based on their relative solubilities in two different immiscible liquids, usually water and an organic solvent. It is an extraction of a substance from one liquid phase into another liquid...
as well as the transport and utilities sector.
The term 'industrial archaeology' was coined in the 1950s in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England by Michael Rix (academic) although its meaning and interpretation has changed. Its development as a separate subject was further stimulated by the campaign to save the Euston Arch
Euston Arch
The Euston Arch, built in 1837, was the original entrance to Euston station, facing onto Drummond Street, London. The Arch was demolished when the station was rebuilt in the 1960s, but much of the original stone was later located—principally used as fill in the Prescott Channel—and proposals have...
. Palmer and Neaverson (Industrial Archaeology Principles and Practice, 1998) defined it as: “the systematic study of structures and artefacts as a means of enlarging our understanding of the industrial past.” It is not to be confused with archaeological industry
Archaeological industry
An archaeological industry, normally just "industry", is the name given in the study of prehistory to a consistent range of assemblages connected with a single product, such as the Langdale axe industry...
, a term used to describe prehistoric periods defined by one particular type of artefact.
Initially practiced largely by amateurs, it was at first looked down upon by professional archaeologists. However, it has now been welcomed into mainstream archaeology. Since the timeframe of study is usually relatively recent, industrial archaeology is often (but not always) able to achieve a more reliable and absolute recording of past behaviour than is possible for the more remote past.
Like other branches of archaeology, industrial archaeology involves painstaking analysis of physical remains, albeit with a strong emphasis on industrial processes. For instance, in studying a medieval lead smelting site, one would want to identify the transport links which brought in the raw lead ore; the place where lead ore was crushed or processed before smelting; the processes and materials used to smelt it; and the places where lead was stored or further processed. An example of an industrial archaeology site is the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site is a National Historic Site located about 10 miles northeast of Downtown Boston in Saugus, Massachusetts. It is the site of the first integrated ironworks in North America, 1646 – 1668...
, site of the first integrated iron works in North America which dates to the 17th century.
One of the first areas in the UK to be the subject of a systematic study of 'industrial archaeology' was the Ironbridge Gorge
Ironbridge Gorge
The Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge formed by the River Severn in Shropshire, England.Originally called the Severn Gorge, the gorge now takes its name from its famous Iron Bridge, the first iron bridge of its kind in the world, and a monument to the industry that began there...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. This landscape developed from the 17th century as one of the first industrial landscapes in the world, and by the 18th century had a range of extractive industries as well as extensive iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
making, ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
manufacturing (including porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
and decorative tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s) and a series of early railways. The significance of the Ironbridge Gorge
Ironbridge Gorge
The Ironbridge Gorge is a deep gorge formed by the River Severn in Shropshire, England.Originally called the Severn Gorge, the gorge now takes its name from its famous Iron Bridge, the first iron bridge of its kind in the world, and a monument to the industry that began there...
was recognised in 1986 with its designation as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, and work by the Ironbridge Archaeology unit over recent years has revealed a great deal about both technological and social developments during the post-medieval period.
Following the pioneering lead of Ironbridge, other areas have been subject to often innovative studies. Recent work in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, by the university field unit have led to new approaches. Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, is one of the world's most intensively studied industrial archaeology localities. Over the last decade a concerted effort by ARCUS and the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
has led to Sheffield's 18th and 19th century history as a steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
producer being revealed. This has been enabled by a massive series of redevelopments allowing access to the archaeology. Unfortunately the recent recession has seen the demise of ARCUS, Manchester and the Ironbridge unit.
International Charters
The Nizhny TagilNizhny Tagil
Nizhny Tagil is a city in Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia, situated east of the virtual border between Europe and Asia. Population: -History:...
Charter was adopted by The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage
TICCIH
The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage, usually known by its acronym TICCIH, is an international society dedicated to the study of industrial archaeology and the protection, promotion and interpretation of the industrial heritage...
at its XII Congress in Russia in 2003, and is the international standard for the study, documentation, conservation and interpretation of the industrial heritage.
Academic programs
Many university archaeologyArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
departments include the industrial period in their degree courses. Dedicated industrial archaeology and industrial heritage courses are usually at post-graduate level.
Organizations
There are national industrial archaeology societies in many countries: the Society for Industrial ArcheologySociety for Industrial Archeology
The Society for Industrial Archeology is a North American non-profit organization dedicated to studying and preserving historic industrial sites, structures and equipment. It was founded in 1971 in Washington, D.C., and its members are primarily from the United States and Canada, although there is...
(SIA) in North America, the Association for Industrial Archaeology
Association for Industrial Archaeology
The Association for Industrial Archaeology, or AIA, is a body promoting the research, recording, preservation and presentation of the Industrial Heritage of the United Kingdom...
(AIA) in Great Britain, CILAC in France, and the Italian AIPAI are among the largest. They bring together people interested in researching, recording, preserving and presenting industrial heritage. Industrial architecture, mineral extraction, heritage-based tourism, power technology, adaptive re-use of industrial buildings and transport history are just some of the themes that could be investigated by society members.
They may also be involved in advising on historic conservation matters, or advising government units on revision or demolition of significant sites or buildings.
See also
- Aviation archaeologyAviation archaeologyAviation archaeology is a recognized sub-discipline within archaeology and underwater archaeology as a whole. It is an activity practiced by both enthusiasts and academics in pursuit of finding, documenting, recovering, and preserving sites important in aviation history...
- Box TunnelBox TunnelBox Tunnel is a railway tunnel in Western England, between Bath and Chippenham, dug through Box Hill, and is one of the most significant structures on the Great Western Main Line...
- I.A.RecordingsI.A.RecordingsI.A.Recordings was founded in 1982 by a small group of volunteers, to record past and present industries on film and video, as a resource for industrial archaeology ....
- Ironbridge Gorge Museums
- Kenneth HudsonKenneth HudsonKenneth Hudson OBE, MA, FSA was an industrial archaeologist, museologist, broadcaster and author.-Early career:...
- Modern ruinsModern ruinsModern ruins is a neologism referring to ruins of architecture constructed in the recent past, generally in the most recent century, or since the 19th century....
- Quarry Bank MillQuarry Bank MillQuarry Bank Mill in Cheshire, England, is one of the best preserved textile mills of the Industrial Revolution and is now a museum of the cotton industry. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.-Water mill:...
- Saugus Iron Works National Historic SiteSaugus Iron Works National Historic SiteSaugus Iron Works National Historic Site is a National Historic Site located about 10 miles northeast of Downtown Boston in Saugus, Massachusetts. It is the site of the first integrated ironworks in North America, 1646 – 1668...
- Urban explorationUrban explorationUrban exploration is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or...
- Urban decayUrban decayUrban decay is the process whereby a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude...
Further reading
- Birmingham, J., Jack, R.I. and Jeans, D. (1979) Australian pioneer technology: sites and relics, Richmond, Vic.: Heinemann Educational Australia, ISBN 0-85859-185-5
- Birmingham, J., Jack, R.I. and Jeans, D. (1983) Industrial Archaeology in Australia: rural industry, Richmond, Vic. : Heinemann Publishers Australia, ISBN 0-85859-319-X
- Buchanan, R.A. (1972) Industrial Archaeology in Britain, Harmondsworth : Penguin, ISBN 0-14-021413-5
- Cossons, N. (ed.) (2000) Perspectives on Industrial Archaeology, London : Science Museum, ISBN 1-900747-31-6
- Daunton, M.J. (1995) Progress and Poverty: an economic and social history of Britain, 1700-1850, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-822281-5
- Deetz, J. (1977) In Small Things Forgotten, Garden City, N.Y. : Anchor Press/Doubleday, ISBN 0-385-08031-X
- Gordon, R.B. and Malone, P.M. (1994), The texture of industry : an archaeological view of the industrialization of North America, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-511141-9
- Hamond, F. and McMahon, M. (2002) Recording and Conserving Ireland's Industrial Heritage, Kilkenny : Heritage Council, ISBN 1-901137-39-2
- Hills, R. L. (1989) Power from Steam: a history of the stationary steam engine, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-34356-9
- Hudson, K. (1966) Industrial Archaeology: an Introduction, 2nd rev. ed., London : John Baker, 184 p.
- Hudson, K. (1969) World Industrial Archaeology, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-21991-4
- Jack, R.I. and Cremin, A. (1994) Australia's Age of Iron, South Melbourne : Oxford University Press in association with Sydney University Press, ISBN 0-424-00158-6
- Kane, R.Robert Kane (chemist)Sir Robert John Kane was an Irish chemist.-Youth:His father, John Kean, was involved in the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and fled for a time to France where he studied chemistry...
[1844](1971) Industrial Resources of Ireland, The Development of industrial society series, Shannon, Ireland : Irish University Press, ISBN 0-7165-1599-7 - McCutcheon, W.A. (1984) The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland, Rutherford, N.J. : Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, ISBN 0-8386-3125-8
- Newman, R. and Howard-Davis, C. (2001) The Historical Archaeology of Britain : c.1540-1900, Stroud : Sutton, ISBN 0-7509-1335-5
- Orser, C.E., Jr (1996) Images of the Recent Past: readings in historical archaeology , Walnut Creek ; London : Alta Mira Press, ISBN 0-7619-9141-7
- Palmer, M. and Neverson, P. (1998) Industrial Archaeology : principles and practice [electronic resource], London; New York : Routledge, ISBN 0-203-17066-0
- Thomas, J. (ed.) (2000) Interpretive Archaeology : a reader ,London : Leicester University Press, ISBN 0-17-850191-8
- Watkins, G. (1999) The Textile Mill Engine: parts 1 & 2, Ashbourne : Landmark, ISBN 1-901522-43-1
General
- Ireland's industrial heritage
- European Route of Industrial Heritage
- Ironbridge Gorge Museum
- Industrial archaeology exhibit at Smithsonian InstitutionSmithsonian InstitutionThe Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
- Mining Sites in the UK
International Organisations
- TICCIHTICCIHThe International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage, usually known by its acronym TICCIH, is an international society dedicated to the study of industrial archaeology and the protection, promotion and interpretation of the industrial heritage...
, The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage, is the international association which represents industrial archaeology and the industrial heritage. It is ICOMOS's specialist adviser on industrial heritage. It has both individual members and associated societies, such as the Society for Industrial ArcheologySociety for Industrial ArcheologyThe Society for Industrial Archeology is a North American non-profit organization dedicated to studying and preserving historic industrial sites, structures and equipment. It was founded in 1971 in Washington, D.C., and its members are primarily from the United States and Canada, although there is...
(SIA), the Association for Industrial ArchaeologyAssociation for Industrial ArchaeologyThe Association for Industrial Archaeology, or AIA, is a body promoting the research, recording, preservation and presentation of the Industrial Heritage of the United Kingdom...
(AIA) and TICCIH in Australia.
- E-FAITH http://www.e-faith.org, the European Federation of Associations of Industrial and Technical Heritage, is a European network of non profit non governmental organisations whose objectives are to promote the study of and research in, recording, conservation, development and management, and interpretation of Industrial and Technical Heritage and to facilitate co-operation in Europe between those engaged in these activities.
National Organisations
- Australasian Society for Historical ArchaeologyAustralasian Society for Historical ArchaeologyThe Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology was originally founded as the Australian Society for Historical Archaeology in 1970 by Judy Birmingham, then a lecturer at the University of Sydney...
an Australian and New Zealand society focusing on historical and industrial archaeology. - Society for Industrial ArcheologySociety for Industrial ArcheologyThe Society for Industrial Archeology is a North American non-profit organization dedicated to studying and preserving historic industrial sites, structures and equipment. It was founded in 1971 in Washington, D.C., and its members are primarily from the United States and Canada, although there is...
http://www.sia-web.org/ in the US and Canada - Association for Industrial ArchaeologyAssociation for Industrial ArchaeologyThe Association for Industrial Archaeology, or AIA, is a body promoting the research, recording, preservation and presentation of the Industrial Heritage of the United Kingdom...
http://www.industrial-archaeology.org.uk/ a primarily British based organisation - Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland http://www.ihai.ie/ An all Ireland body
- Vlaamse Vereniging voor Industriële Archeologie - Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology http://www.vvia.be, platform for volunteers and industrial heritage organisations in FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, established in 1978
Local Organisations
- Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society
- Staffordshire (uk) Industrial Archaeology Society
- Ironbridge Archaeology unit
- Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society
- Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society
Reference materials
- I.A. Recordings a web based resource site
Degree Programs
- Industrial Archaeology Master of Science and PhD degree program at Michigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University is a public research university located in Houghton, Michigan, United States. Its main campus sits on on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake...
- Master of Arts degree at Ironbridge InstituteUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...