Industrial archaeology
Industrial archaeology (IA) is the systematic study of material evidence associated with the
The field of industrial archaeology developed during the 1950s in
Industrial archaeology topics and sites
Industrial archaeology covers a wide range of topics, from early ironworks and water-powered mills to large modern factories, as well as ancillary sites and structures such as worker housing, warehouses and infrastructure.
IA topics generally fall into one of four categories:
- Extractive (also known as "basic materials", which includes mining, quarrying, petroleum, lumbering, etc.),
- Manufacturing (mills and factories, including their power systems and machinery),
- Public utilities (water, sewer, electric, gas, etc.), and
- Transport (canals, railways, roads, aviation, bridges, tunnels, etc.).
Additionally, the topic of power generation (water, wind, steam, electric, etc.), while applicable to each of the four major IA categories, is sometimes considered its own category.
The work of industrial archaeologists has led to greater public awareness of industrial heritage, including the creation of industry museums and the inclusion of sites on national and international historic cultural registers in many parts of the world. Notable examples include the Ironbridge Gorge Museums, Engelsberg Ironworks and Lowell National Historical Park, among many others.
History of industrial archaeology
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Levant_Steam_Mine%2C_Cornwall.jpg/220px-Levant_Steam_Mine%2C_Cornwall.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Charcoal_Kilns_near_Leadore.jpg/220px-Charcoal_Kilns_near_Leadore.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Bordercity.jpg/220px-Bordercity.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/The_demolition_of_the_Lochcarron_of_Scotland_Mill_in_Galashiels_-_geograph.org.uk_-_279786.jpg/220px-The_demolition_of_the_Lochcarron_of_Scotland_Mill_in_Galashiels_-_geograph.org.uk_-_279786.jpg)
Early developments
One of the earliest forerunners of the mid-20th-century IA-movement was the Sheffield Trades Technical Societies, established in 1918 at the
During the early 20th century, the
Another notable example of an early industrial archaeology site (one that predates the widespread IA-movement), is the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Saugus, Massachusetts. It is the site of the first integrated iron works in North America, and was reconstructed in the 1950s after extensive archaeological excavations that began in the late 1940s by Roland W. Robbins.[12]
Beginnings of the IA movement
The term "industrial archaeology" was popularised in Great Britain in 1955 by Michael Rix of
One of the first areas to be the subject of a systematic study of industrial archaeology was the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire, United Kingdom. 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 making, ceramic manufacturing, and a series of early railways. The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust was established in 1967, and the significance of the Ironbridge Gorge was recognized in 1986 with its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[17]
In 1963, British journalist
The success of the 1967 and 1968 mill surveys led to the formation of the
1970s-1980s
By the early 1970s, industrial archaeology was, for the most part, being practiced in a few select countries by amateurs and professionals with different backgrounds and objectives. While much had been accomplished during the preceding decade, the "new" field of industrial archaeology was still struggling to gain acceptance as a true scholarly pursuit. In October 1971, a group of representatives from various museums, universities, and government organizations in the
In 1973, the Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) was founded in Great Britain. It brought together the numerous local IA-groups that had been formed throughout the country.[9] The AIA publishes a newsletter, Industrial Archaeology News, along with its academic journal, Industrial Archaeology Review, introduced in 1976.[25] Many AIA members have been active in promoting the mission of IA throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
With the rapid decline of many established industries in North America and Europe during the 1970s, industrial archaeologists began to take on a new role of recording and preserving recently closed sites, as opposed to antique relics from earlier periods. Among the notable projects during this decade was the successful transformation of Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama after it shut down in 1971 into an open air industrial museum. Sloss Furnaces was declared an NHL in 1981.[26] The museum opened in 1983 and offers a variety of educational and civic programs.[27]
In 1977, on the initiative of Bruno Corti and following the first studies in Italy, the Italian Society of Industrial Archaeology, SIAI, was founded. The first president is art historian Eugenio Battisti. The SIAI immediately publishes an important journal for defining the cultural boundaries of the continental paths of industrial archaeology, “Il Coltello di Delfo". The following year the British Council of Rome promotes the exhibition "I resti di una rivoluzione", set up in Milan, Florence, Perugia and Naples.
In 1982, I.A.Recordings was founded by a small group of volunteers in the UK, to record past and present industries on film and video, as a resource for future generations.
During the 1980s, the scope of the field of industrial archaeology in Great Britain shifted away from what was taken place in North America, where the theories of social archaeology that were developed in the historical archaeology field began to be applied to the study of industrial sites. British industrial archaeologists meanwhile mainly focused on the recording of the technical aspects of sites and artifacts. One key development during this period was the shift toward thematic studies of monuments by type, including three initial textile mill surveys in Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and eastern Cheshire led by Keith Falconer.[9]
Since 1990
Since 1990, there has been an ever-increasing awareness of the importance of industrial heritage, confirmed most prominently by the addition of numerous industrial sites to the
Industrial archaeology has gradually gained acceptance in the academic arena. In the UK, where the field developed largely from the efforts of volunteer researchers, the emergence of developer-funded projects in the past two decades has led to an increased presence of professional practitioners, with the application of theoretical archaeology methods such as landscape archaeology to the industrial setting.[29] However, while many university archaeology departments now include the industrial period in their degree courses, industrial archaeology remains a fairly limited field of study, with few dedicated industrial archaeology programs, such as those offered at Michigan Technological University and the Ironbridge Institute.[30]
Widespread appreciation of the importance of industrial heritage by the general public is still lacking in many areas, as the subject often maintains the perception of being "not old enough" to truly be considered
In 2003, the Nizhny Tagil Charter was adopted by
IA organizations
There are national industrial archaeology societies in many countries. They bring together people interested in researching, recording, preserving and presenting industrial heritage. Industrial architecture, mineral extraction, heritage-based tourism, power technology, adaptive reuse, and transport history are just some of the themes that are investigated by society members. Most groups publish periodic newsletters and host a variety of conferences, seminars and tours of IA-sites and still-active industries (known as process tours).[31][32] IA organizations may also be involved in advising on historic conservation matters, or advising government units on revision or demolition of significant sites or buildings.
Alias | Organization Name | Country / Region | Established | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|
AIA | Association for Industrial Archaeology | Great Britain | 1973 | industrial-archaeology.org |
AIPAI | Associazione Italiana per il Patrimonio Archeologico Industriale | Italy | 1997 | https://www.aipaipatrimonioindustriale.com/ |
APPI | Associação Portuguesa para o Património Industrial | Portugal | 1997 | www.museudaindustriatextil.org/appi |
CILAC | Comité d'information et de liaison pour l'archéologie, l'étude et la mise en valeur du patrimoine industriel | France | 1979 | www.cilac.com |
E-FAITH | European Federation of Associations of Industrial and Technical Heritage | Europe | www.e-faith.org | |
FIEN | Federatie Industrieel Erfgoed Nederland | Netherlands | 1984 | www.industrieel-erfgoed.nl |
IHAI | Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland | Ireland | 1996 | www.ihai.ie |
IHTIA | Institute for the History of Technology and Industrial Archaeology | West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, United States | 1989 | http://www.as.wvu.edu/ihtia |
JIAS | Japan Industrial Archaeology Society | Japan | 1977 | jias.o.oo7.jp/index.html |
LIMF | Latvijas Industriālā mantojuma fonds | Latvia | 1992 | English version |
AIR | Romanian Association for Industrial Archaeology | Romania | 2007 | |
PIWB | Patrimoine Industriel Wallonie-Bruxelles | Belgium | 1984 | http://www.patrimoineindustriel.be/en/piwb |
SIA | Society for Industrial Archeology | United States / Canada | 1971 | www.sia-web.org |
Selskabet til Bevaring af Industrimiljøer | Denmark | 1979 | www.fabrikogbolig.dk/index.php | |
SGTI / ASHT | Swiss Society for the History of Technology and Industrial Heritage | Switzerland | www.sgti.ch or www.asht.ch | |
SIM | Svenska industriminnesföreningen | Sweden | 1989 | www.sim.se |
TICCIH | The International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage | international | 1978 | www.ticcih.org |
TICCIH España | Spain | 1999 | www.ticcih.es | |
TICCIH Germany | Germany | German TICCIH National Committee | ||
TICCIH Mexico | Mexico | 2006 | www.ticcihmexico.org | |
TICCIH-Brasil | Comitê Brasileiro de Preservação do Patrimônio Industrial | Brazil | 2003 | www.patrimonioindustrial.org.br Archived 2018-11-16 at the Wayback Machine |
TICCIH Australia | Australia | 2008 | TICCIH in Oz discussion group | |
VVIA | Vlaamse Vereniging voor Industriële Archeologie | Flanders | 1978 | www.vvia.be |
See also
- Arthur Raistrick
- Aviation archaeology
- I.A.Recordings
- Industrial archaeology of Dartmoor
- Industrial heritage
- List of tunnels in the United Kingdom
- Ken Major
- Major Mining Sites of Wallonia
- Mill conversion
- Quarry Bank Mill
- Railway archaeology
- Rex Wailes
References
- ^ Industrial Archaeology: Principles and Practice, Peter Neaverson and Marilyn Palmer, Routledge, 1998, chapter 1
- ^ a b Society for Industrial Archeology. "About the Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA)". Siahq.org. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ The Texture of Industry, Robert B. Gordon and Patrick M. Malone, Oxford University Press, 1994, Chapter 1
- ^ "Protecting Industrial Sites". English-heritage.org.uk. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- . Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Agreement" (PDF). Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Sheffield Trades Historical Society". Topforge.co.uk. 1993-10-16. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "About Newcomen". Newcomen.com. 2014-01-10. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ a b c d "A major change in human evolution". Industrial-archaeology.org. Archived from the original on 2014-04-27. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "About Us". Slater Mill. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Society for Industrial Archeology. "The roots of the Society for Industrial Archeology". Siahq.org. Archived from the original on 2008-05-12. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "The Significance of Saugus Iron Works to the United States and the World". Nps.gov. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ World Industrial Archaeology, Kenneth Hudson
- S2CID 246043786.
- ^ Industrial Archaeology:A Handbook, Palmer, Nevell & Sissons, 2012
- ^ Robert Mason. "GLIAS". GLIAS. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Ironbridge Gorge - UNESCO". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Hudson, Kenneth (1963). Industrial archaeology: an introduction, Google books. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ a b Society for Industrial Archeology. "The Birth of the SIA and Reminiscences by Some of its Founders". Siahq.org. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Vogel, Robert M., Historical Archaeology, The New England Textile Mill Survey, Vol. 1, 1967, page 34.
- ^ Sande, Ted, Technology and Culture, The National Park Service and the History of Technology: The New England Textile Mill Survey, Vol. 14, No. 3, July 1973
- ^ "Amoskeag Millyard, Canal Street, Manchester, Hillsborough County, NH". Loc.gov. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Why are there two different spellings: archaeology and archeology?". Saa.org. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Society for Industrial Archeology. "Contents of past issues of IA, The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology". Siahq.org. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Industrial Archaeology Review". Industrial-archaeology.org. Archived from the original on 2014-02-25. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark". Slossfurnaces.com. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ Crowewrite, Christina (2009-01-08). "The History of Sloss Furnaces". Bwcitypaper.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "About ERIH". Erih.net. Archived from the original on 2014-02-08. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- S2CID 143957153.
- ^ University Courses Archived April 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Society for Industrial Archeology. "The Society for Industrial Archeology Annual Conference and Tours". Siahq.org. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
- ^ "AIA-events". Industrial-archaeology.org. Archived from the original on 2013-09-24. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
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
- Douet, J. (ed.). (2012) Industrial Heritage Re-tooled: The TICCIH guide to Industrial Heritage Conservation, Lancaster: Carnegie, ISBN 978-1-85936-218-1
- 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
- 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
- Itzen, P. and Müller, Chr. (ed.) (2013), The Invention of Industrial Pasts: Heritage, political culture and economic debates in Great Britain and Germany, 1850-2010, Augsburg: Wissner; pp. 184 ISBN 978-3-89639-910-6
- 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
- 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
- ISBN 0-203-17066-0
- Thomas, J. (ed.) (2000) Interpretive Archaeology : a reader, London : Leicester University Press, ISBN 0-7185-0191-8
- Watkins, G. (1999) The Textile Mill Engine: parts 1 & 2, Ashbourne : Landmark, ISBN 1-901522-43-1
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
General
- European Route of Industrial Heritage
- Heritage of Industry Tours
- Ironbridge Gorge Museum
- Industrial archaeology exhibit at Smithsonian Institution
- Steel City: an Archaeology of Sheffield's Industrial Past
- Italian Network of Industrial Turism
Local IA organisations
Great Britain
- Berkshire Industrial Archaeology Group
- Bristol Industrial Archaeological Society
- Cumbria Industrial History Society
- Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaeology
- Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society
- Ironbridge Archaeology unit
- Hampshire Industrial Archaeology Society
- Norfolk Industrial Archaeology Society
- North East Derbyshire Industrial Archaeology Society
- Northamptonshire Industrial Archaeology Group
- Scottish Industrial Heritage Society
- Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society
- Staffordshire (uk) Industrial Archaeology Society
- Sussex Industrial Archaeology Society
- Warwickshire Industrial Archaeology Society
- Yorkshire Archaeological Society - Industrial History Section
United States
The Society for Industrial Archeology has the following local chapters:
- Klepetko Chapter (Montana)
- New England Chapters
- Northern Ohio Chapter Archived 2014-06-03 at the Wayback Machine (Northern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania)
- Oliver Evans Chapter (Philadelphia metropolitan area)
- Roebling Chapter (New York metropolitan area and New Jersey)
- Samuel Knight Chapter (Northern California)
Reference materials
- I.A. Recordings a web-based resource site