Mining Our Past
A Comparison of Peruvian Silver Refineries with West Virginia Coal Mines
Mining Our
Past
A Public History Project
"Mining Our Past" examines the amazing shared experiences of miners across space and time. This public history project explores similarities in the lives of 17th Century Peruvian silver refiners and 20th Century West Virginia coal miners.
Left: Appalachian coal miner. Photograph by Russell Lee - US National Archives.
Digging into the Past
This project uses archaeology to tell the story of miners in the past. We study material remains of ancient miners - their tools, their clothes, their food, their houses - to compare and contrast mining life in Peru and West Virginia.
To help tell the miners' stories, I collaborated with the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum in Matewan, WV. There, I created a temporary museum exhibit showcasing my archaeological research in Peru.
Right: Marcelino Ttupa (right) and I excavate an ancient Peruvian house floor from the Wari Culture. Cusco, Peru. Photograph by Maeve Skidmore.
Public History and the WV Mine Wars Museum
My Public History Project Includes:
(1) A visiting exhibit at the WV Mine Wars Museum comparing the lived experiences of Peruvian silver miners with West Virginia coal miners. Artifacts are also on loan from Appalachian Lost and Found.
(2) This website, which provides more information about Peruvian silver refining and current mining issues in Peru.
3) Digital archaeology models, which bring to life artifacts uncovered in Peruvian excavations in 3-D photographs.
(4) Replica artifacts created by a 3-D printer at the University of Pittsburgh, allowing visitors in West Virginia to see, touch, and hold artifacts from Peru.
Enjoy exploring the information on this website, and consider visiting the WV Mine Wars Museum and the Appalachian Lost and Found Museum for your next vacation. Both are located in Matewan, WV.
Contact Me
Sarah Kennedy
University of Pittsburgh
Department of Anthropology
WWPH, 3302 S Bouquet St
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
