Unburied Lives: The Historical Archaeology of Buffalo Soldiers at Fort Davis, Texas, 18691875 [Paperback]

InUnburied LivesWilkie demonstrates how we can listen to stories found in things neglected, ignored, or disparaged--documents not consulted, architecture not studied, material traces preserved in the dirt.Laurie A. Wilkieis the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Her books includeStrung Out on Archaeology: An Introduction to Archaeological Research,The Lost Boys of Zeta Psi: A Historical Archaeology of Masculinity at a University Fraternity, andThe Archaeology of Mothering: An African-American Midwife's Tale.Wilkie's study of the Buffalo soldiers and military life at Fort Davis is bold and innovative. She reveals a complex web of material and social entanglements that illustrate the military's complicity in anti-black racism while highlighting the various ways that black men--as soldiers, husbands, friends, and fathers--navigated an especially difficult terrain to demonstrate their humanity and rights to citizenship.--Maria Franklin, contributor toUnlocking the Past: Celebrating Historical Archaeology in North America"Wilkie’s work breathes life into history, wielding the weight of rigorous research and empirical evidence, and is heightened by the attention to the contemporary, on-going struggles of anti-Blackness and violence perpetrated by the state and vigilantes. Bearing witness to these histories of violence and how Black soldiers sought dignity and made meaning in an 'imperfect union,' Wilkie’s work leaves the reader with an affirmation of the potential of historical archaeology, the urgency of the work, and the challenges confronting the anthropological project of history.""Examining materials recovered from six archaeological locales as well as orphaned collections, Wilkie uses the science of archaeology to flesh out the documentary accounts of military life at a frontier outpost. She weaves these elements ilcz