San Jose Chinatown and the Market Street Chinatown Archaeological Project

 May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month, a month dedicated to celebrating people and cultures from Asia and the Pacific Islands. To kick things off we wanted to talk about an amazing site all the way across the country, in San Jose, California. First, as Asian Pacific is a very broad term, that encompasses many cultures, let us define it a bit. Asian Pacific refers to those from the Asian continent and the Pacific Islands. The Pacific Islands are numerous, and include Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).

Market Street Chinatown circa 1880, photograph by 
Andrew P. Hill (Courtesy of the Market Street Chinatown
Archaeological Project)

Today we will be focusing on Chinese immigrants that moved to San Jose in the 1860s and settled in  Market Street Chinatown. Today you would never know that once one of the largest thriving Chinatowns in California existed in this area, but in the 1880s over 1,000 Chinese immigrants called this place home. There were about 20 apartment buildings, numerous stores, restaurants, barbers, butchers, pharmacies, gambling establishments, workshops, and even a Chinese opera house. 

However, in the 1880s there was a strong anti-Chinese sentiment in the United States and in fact, in 1886, the first California Anti-Chinese Convention was held in San Jose. The following year city officials declared the community a public nuisance and shortly there after it burned to the ground. The cause was suspected arson. It remained buried under the city of San Jose for nearly 100 years until archaeologists discovered a trash pit during construction of a hotel and financial center. Archaeological Resource Services (a contract archaeological firm) was contacted by the city to monitor construction. This is a wonderful example of how Cultural Resource Management plays a vital role in ensuring archaeological sites are documented during development projects.

A Chinese medicine bottle recovered from the Market Street Chinatown archaeological project. Chemical analysis shows it contained cinnabar, known in Chinese as Zhu Sha. In Chinese medicine it was used to treat numerous ailments, from anxiety to snakebites. We now know that cinnabar contains mercury, which is toxic in large amounts or extended exposure. (photograph courtesy of the "There Was a Chinatown Here" digital exhibit)

This significant archaeological discovery blossomed into Sanford's Market Street Chinatown Archaeological Project, which is a community archaeology partnership between Stanford's Department of Anthropology, History San Jose, and the Chinese Historical and Cultural Project. After the initial excavation in the 1980s, the numerous artifacts recovered from the site were boxed and put in storage. The Market Street Chinatown Archaeological Project has been working to catalog these objects so that they can be used for research and educational purposes. This project has resulted in numerous publications, art installations, and exhibits. One such exhibit is the digital exhibit, There Was a Chinatown Here. Be sure to check it out to learn more about this fascinating site and the people that called it home!

Florida Archaeology Month 2021 Celebrates Community-Based Archaeology

Every March Florida celebrates Florida Archaeology Month. It is a time to celebrate our unique and long cultural history and reflect on the management and preservation of our cultural resources. Each year has a unique theme and this year we will be focusing on community based archaeology. So what is community-based archaeology? Community archaeology strives to involve communities in the planning and implementation of archaeology research projects. Communities come in many different forms and sizes, but they all have a history and heritage that is unique to them. Community-Based Archaeology takes community archaeology a step further. This approach promotes using archaeology as a tool that encourages communities to create knowledge that is relevant, empowering, and of use to them. In order to be part of such an approach, archaeologists must choose to seek out, earn trust with, support, and collaborate with the communities who are connected to places they wish to study. It requires a commitment to equitable partnerships and honoring the integrity of diverse voices, systems of knowledge, and forms of data. 

Last year Florida Archaeology Month was cut short and we had to re-evaluate our programming as COVID had made in person events unsafe. This year we again find ourselves in the same situation. As disappointed as we are by not being able to do in person programming, it does provide some unique opportunities. This year all of our events will be virtual. While not the same, it does provide the opportunity for anybody to attend events from anywhere! And as a bonus, if you miss a lecture or program, you can find it on our YouTube channel and watch it at a time that is convenient for you. To find a complete listing of all the scheduled events across the state you can visit the Florida Archaeology Month website.  

Florida Archaeology Month happens to coincide with Women's History Month, which presents us with a unique opportunity to highlight women's role in Florida Archaeology. So, this month that is exactly what our blog will be focusing on. To get you started, we wanted to share with you a wonderful resource, the Women in Archaeology website. Be sure to checkout their podcast and blog for some great stories. 

Early on, archaeology was an academic field dominated by men, with women being discouraged from participating. When women were able to work their way into the field they were usually relegated to non-academic positions in museums and similar institutions. Although they were not banned from studying archaeology, they were rarely accepted into prestigious societies, and were not allowed to complete field training. In Europe, many women entered the field as their husband's research associate and rarely were given recognition for their work. Today, it is a different story, and although there is still much work to be done, women now regularly work in academic institutions, often in leadership positions. Women make up roughly half of professional archaeologists, but still have issues pertaining to the glass ceiling and harassment. That being said, there would not be women working in the field if it were not for some brave and persistent women that keep paving the way even still today. This month, we would like to introduce you to some of those women. We encourage you to follow along with us this month and don't forget to check out the Florida Archaeology Month website to find a variety of virtual events. There is sure to be a few that will entice you!