Research Overview

Research Overview

Throughout the 20th century, the property at 671 Franklin Street served as a residential dwelling to multiple individuals and families, most of whom were of Italian decent. The family most likely associated with the deposits found on the property is the Bacigalupi family, which was made up of an Italian-born husband and wife, and their American-born son. The goal of this research is to better understand if and how ethnic  and cultural identities are expressed in the archaeological record, and whether immigrant families, such as the Bacigalupis, maintain their ethnic and cultural identities while living in the United States. To answer these questions, I look at the artifacts associated with this property, specifically rosary beads, olive jars and shellfish remains, a tea/coffee cup, and a plastic toothbrush, and compare them to the existing archaeological and historical work on  Italian immigrants and the American neighborhoods they occupied.