The Archaeology of Improvement in Britain, 1750–1850
Author: Sarah Tarlow
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2007-04-30
Total Pages: 202
ISBN-13: 1139462741
DOWNLOAD EBOOKIn this innovative 2007 study, Sarah Tarlow shows how the archaeology of this period manifests a widespread and cross-cutting ethic of improvement. Theoretically informed and drawn from primary and secondary sources in a range of disciplines, the author considers agriculture and the rural environment, towns, and buildings such as working-class housing and institutions of reform. From bleach baths to window glass, rubbish pits to tea wares, the material culture of the period reflects a particular set of values and aspirations. Tarlow examines the philosophical and historical background to the notion of improvement and demonstrates how this concept is a useful lens through which to examine the material culture of later historical Britain.