Archaeologists employ a number ofrelative andabsolute dating methods to establish the chronological sequence of the site or artifacts that they are studying. Even in instances where absolute dates are known, techniques normally used for relative dating, such asseriation, can be employed to gain insight into exactly how things in the past changed. For example, archaeologists have used seriation techniques on 17th- and 19th-century New England tombstones to produce charts with characteristicbattleship curves. A careful reading of these charts has given archaeologists a significant amount of information about how these tombstone designs have peaked and declined in popularity over time .

 

Your Project 

Since the 1930s, it has been rumored that Mother Goose, the supposedly fictional writer of many of our best-loved nursery rhymes, was not only a real person but that she is buried in Boston's Granary Burial Ground. Indeed, there exists a well-preserved seventeenth-century tombstone in the burial ground decorated with a winged skull pattern and inscribed with the name Mary Goose (see image).

You have decided to investigate this burial ground and the Mary Goose grave in particular. Although you know that you cannot solve the Mother Goose riddle once and for all, you do have many techniques at your disposal to learn more about the burial.

To better understand how the Mary Goose burial fits in with the history of the publication of Mother Goose nursery rhymes, you need to get a sense of when the individual buried in the Granary Burial Ground lived and died. You know that the headstone records her death as occurring in 1690, however you wish to provide independent confirmation of this. The Boston Historical Society might even fund your research!

Write a short project proposal (at least two paragraphs) to the Boston Historical Society outlining how you could determine when Mary Goose died using the methods mentioned in your textbook. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the available dating methods and make the case for the particular method that you think would work best in this situation.

 

1. The earliest grave at the Granary Burial Ground in Boston dates to the year 1660. With this in mind, what are some of the dating techniques mentioned in your book that wouldnot work on the burials at that site? Why?

2. Later, you discover that, years ago, the gravestones in Granary Burial Ground were moved from their original locations and placed into neat rows, perhaps to make the cemetery easier to care for. Does the fact that Mary Goose is probably not buried beneath her gravestone affect any of the possible dating techniques that you suggested? Why?