Monuments and Memory: Archaeological Perspectives on Commemoration

Examining the pasts, evolving meanings, and silenced histories surrounding public monuments

This volume examines many different public monuments to increase understanding of the cultural factors that have shaped their creation, maintenance, and—in some cases—removal. The role of monuments in communities and society continues to be an important and controversial topic, and the case studies in this volume contribute to this conversation by assessing the ways such markers can be empowering or marginalizing from a wide range of perspectives.

The monuments discussed here represent historical events from the Revolutionary War through the Korean War, including the “slave auction block” formerly located on the streets of Fredericksburg, Virginia; memorials to Confederate soldiers across the South and in northern POW cemeteries; and the Pullman National Monument in Chicago for workers who participated in the 1894 Pullman Strike. This volume also highlights the dearth of statues memorializing the achievements of women and minorities, especially women of color, and contributors discuss whether recent movements advocating for more inclusive histories will lead to an increase in monuments honoring people whose narratives have been suppressed.

Looking at the powerful role of monuments in conveying the memory of history to future generations, the contributors to Monuments and Memory show why it is important to address the messages of these sites and ask whose histories they may be silencing. This book demonstrates how conversations surrounding preservation and interpretation of monuments encourage community involvement.

John H. Jameson, retired archaeology public interpretation lead with the United States National Park Service, is coeditor of Unlocking the Past: Celebrating Historical Archaeology in North America.

Sherene Baugher is professor emeritus of anthropology and landscape architecture at Cornell University.

Richard Veit is professor of anthropology and provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Monmouth University. Baugher and Veit are coeditors of The Archaeology of Cemeteries and Gravemarkers.