Chase Pipes

The fascinating art of 18th-century reenacting involves recreating historical clothing, equipment, and events of the period from 1701 to 1800. It provides an immersive experience for reenactors, allowing them to learn about history through hands-on experience.

Eighteenth-century reenacting typically involves people dressing in period clothing and engaging in activities such as mock battles, cooking over an open fire, and dancing. This immersion can help deepen understanding of the time’s customs, traditions, and technologies and the political and social issues that shaped the era. The pursuit has gained popularity in recent years and has a strong community of enthusiasts worldwide who participate in events, documentaries, workshops, and other activities related to 18th-century history.

The 18th century is often considered a significant period for reenactors because it was a time of great change in many parts of the world. The era was primarily marked by high culture and sophistication, focusing on art, music, and literature. Reenacting this era offers a unique opportunity to experience the intellectual and cultural milieu of the time, including the works of prominent artists and famous writers like Voltaire, Hogarth, and Mozart.

Participating in 18th-century historical reenacting can offer a wide range of benefits to individuals and allow participants to learn about history in a way that is impossible to experience through books or lectures. Rather than simply reading about 18th-century history in a textbook or watching a documentary, reenactors can physically engage with history by recreating it.

Reenactors can try various activities such as blacksmithing, woodworking, or cooking using historically accurate methods and tools. These activities can help reenactors learn new skills and gain a greater appreciation for the work that went into daily life during the 1700s.

Reenactments can bring life to historical events such as political debates, protests, and wars that shaped the political landscape of the 18th century. For instance, the recreation of historical events such as the Boston Tea Party that occurred in 1773 can help reenactors internalize the significance of the event and the role it played in the American Revolution.

Additionally, reenactments help create a profound appreciation for the past and provide a more nuanced understanding of history. The focus on historical accuracy facilitates a means of temporal escape from the complexities of the 21st century to the simpler 18th century.

Historical reenactments are often community-driven events where participants can learn from each other. This community can offer support, encouragement, and a network of like-minded individuals who share knowledge and resources. Participants can impart skills and insights about 18th-century history by working together to recreate a particular period. This social learning can deepen understanding and build a sense of community among participants.

Historical reenactment is considered a great pastime for families. In an 18th-century reenactment, everyone has a role; while adults can assume more mature roles, children can participate by bearing flags or playing simple music instruments. Participating in these activities as a family can help strengthen bonds and create fun memories that last.

Geoarchaeology is the study of archaeological data using methods and concepts from earth science. Geoarchaelogists are professionals who have a specialized understanding of the physical context in which excavations happen and the conditions under which archaeological stratigraphy is preserved.

Scientists have conducted geoarchaeology as far back as the 18th century. The collaboration between archaeologists and geoscientists when they investigated archaeological sites resulted in the birth of geoarchaeology. However, modern geoarchaeology was born and formalized in research by Donald A. Davidson and Myra L. Shackley in 1976. Their publication titled “Geoarchaeology: Earth Science and the Past,” noted that archaeology problems are offshoots of geoarchaeology problems.

A research endeavor, geoarchaeology provides historical data and solves archaeological problems through a geographic information system (GIS), paleo-environmental parameters, and digital elevation models (DEM) in conjunction with the knowledge acquired from human, social, and earth sciences. For instance, it might help discover archaeological sites, analyze archaeological materials, and give more information about their internal structure.

GIS helps store, integrate, share, analyze, display, and edit geographical information. Using GIS, geoarchaeologists can create interactive queries, draw out maps, and make these data readily available for geoarchaeological research. On the other hand, DEM provides digital images of a topographical surface and presents 3D images devoid of vegetation and buildings.

Geoarchaeology can be considered a subset of prehistoric archaeology, which can then be an extension of geoecology or paleogeography. Although there is little doubt that the term geoarchaeology is beneficial for characterizing a wide range of activities, this might cause issues.

While several scholars consider geoarchaeology an offshoot of archaeology, the discipline has a distinct theoretical approach and methodology. It uses methods primarily from earth sciences to provide solutions to archaeological problems, including sedimentology, geomorphology, stratigraphy, pedology, geology, and geography. Primarily, geoarchaeology focuses on stratigraphic and landscape formation.

The geoarchaeology of a specific location includes its bedrock, rivers, and landforms of sediments caused by erosion or deposition. Scientists have observed that most difficulty in archaeology begins as an issue within geoarchaeology. This suggests that in instances where the topsoil is scraped because it is modern and mixed, where plowed or truncated soils are identified, or when excavation terminates at “the natural,” geoarchaeological decisions have been made.

Geoarchaeological investigations and research are quite broad and might involve distinguishing between cultural and natural features and sediments, site survey methods using electromagnetic and remote sensing devices to find or navigate archaeological sites, and integrating biological information to reconstruct palaeolandscapes.

Geoarchaelogists also use several analytical approaches to interpret and record the stratigraphy. They also use specific standard methods for soil and sediment classification and description. With these methods, geoarchaeologists can assign sedimentary units to natural processes. For instance, in 2012, a group of geoarchaeologists in the Seille Valley of France reconstructed the changing patterns of a river channel movement and formation simply by analyzing an intricate series of sediments in that region.

Finally, it is important to note that geoarchaeological methods can support several levels of archaeological inquiry, but are primarily utilized for clarifying preservation, establishing site development procedures, improving on-site interpretations of archaeological excavations, and spotting changes in the natural terrain through time.

Many historians state that the American Revolution happened because of Britain’s imperialistic policies and taxation. The Boston Tea Party, the Boston Massacre, the Stamp Act, and the Townshend Acts were some of the significant events leading to the American Revolution.

Colonists on the western frontier shared the sentiments of those in the East. Western frontiersmen resented eastern elites, disliked oppressive power, and feared the Native American tribes that inhabited the region. This resentment, dislike, and fear culminated in the 1765 Black Boys’ Rebellion, an event that historian Patrick Spero says began the American Revolution.

The story of this rebellion begins at the end of the Seven Years’ War in 1763, a victory for the British. The Seven Years’ War spanned Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. In the Americas, the French and Indian War involved the British warring against the French and the Native Americans, who had been allies against the colonial power.

After the war, the French left, but the Native Americans feared British expansion into their lands and fought against British occupation. An Ottawan warrior, Pontiac, led Native American tribes in the fight for their liberty, destroying the westernmost settlements and forts.

The British had just been through the expensive Seven Years’ War but had no choice but to halt the attacks on their settlements and forts. Peace was the only option, so they enlisted the Ottawa nation in negotiations.

The British, hoping to establish a treaty with Native American tribes, enlisted the help of George Croghan, a trader with established ties with the Native Americans. Under the supervision of the British commander-in-chief, Croghan organized a peace offering and voyage to seek out Chief Pontiac.

Things might have gone as planned except for the interference of a ragtag group of frontiersmen, the Black Boys, who were against any peace treaty with the Native Americans. The Black Boys were angry with the British Empire for appearing to submit to Native American demands.

Because of Croghan’s allegiance to Native tribes, the frontiersmen did not trust him either. The frontiersmen took matters into their own hands and hired James Smith, the founder of the group that eventually became the Black Boys, the name a reference to the men covering their faces with charcoal or painting their faces red and black.

Smith had lived with the tribes for a few years after being captured. He escaped and was taken in by another tribe from which he also escaped. When he escaped, Smith returned to a frontier where Native Americans and frontiersmen were fighting. The committee of frontiersmen hired Smith to captain a militia that protected the frontier.

Meanwhile, a British convoy with goods for the Native Americans was en route to Pawlings Tavern in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on March 5, 1765. A package fell to the ground, and weapons of war fell out of it.

Before this discovery, Native Americans had just attacked the settlers, an incident that was still fresh in their minds. Residents asked Croghan’s convoy to return to Fort Loudoun (government authority) to inspect the items, but the convoy dismissed the request. When the convoy reached its destination in Mercersburg, Virginia, 100 armed residents confronted them.

The following day, Smith and the Black Boys confronted the convoy. When the driver refused to return to Fort Loudoun, they destroyed most of the trade goods and killed or wounded six horses. This incident, according to Spero, was one of several events that kickstarted the American Revolution.

An accomplished history enthusiast, Chase Pipes is the co-owner and operator of the Smoky Mountain Relic Room in Sevierville, Tennessee. Chase Pipes oversees all aspects of the Smoky Mountain Relic Room, including its acquisition and sales of historical artifacts and fossils, among other items, from a wide range of eras.

Located at 2320 Winfield Dunn Pkwy, Sevierville, Tennessee, Smoky Mountain Relic Room is a retail and wholesale prehistoric and ancient item store. The staff at the Relic Room are fervent protectors and promoters of history. They travel nationwide and internationally to obtain items from their network of collectors, dealers, and discoverers of history. In addition to artifacts and fossils, they also seek out items like meteorites, crystals, and other minerals.

The Smoky Mountain Relic Room has diverse collections of rare objects for sale. Some of these objects have been around since before the beginning of recorded history in the 4th millennium BC. These include fossils of early mammals, dinosaurs, and plants. The store also preserves and sells items that emerged at various points in history – from coins spent in ancient Rome to nostalgic ethnographic items. Over 1.5 million visitors come to the Relic Room each year to buy and cherish pieces of history.

Staff at Smoky Mountain Relic Room host the YouTube channel “Chasing History.” The channel shows how historical and prehistoric items are excavated from dig sites.

The operator of the fossils and artifacts seller Smoky Mountain Relic Room, Chase Pipes uses each purchase as an opportunity to educate the community on the creation and preservation of each item. Via his podcast distributed on YouTube, Chasing History, Chase Pipes not only produces content on well-known types of sites, like former Native American settlements and fossil deposits, but the locations of outhouses created by 19th-century American families.

Outhouses present a different kind of site when compared to other structures. Covered holes near individual homes did more than keep human waste away from drinking water and living quarters. Before the invention of modern indoor plumbing and sanitation systems, people used outhouses to dispose of garbage. However, the trash remained in them without cleaning. In addition, outhouses did not serve as permanent structures, so new construction projects would begin on top of them by filling in the holes without removing their contents.

The items thrown into the outhouses give archaeologists glimpses into the users’ lives, especially families. They can learn what fragrances they used, what glassware and dishes were standard, and even the contents of users’ diets. Interpreting art and writing on these objects can even contain insight into popular culture at the time or the personal lives of the nearest families to an outhouse. These opportunities increase when archaeologists uncover privy pits and communal outhouses frequented by business visitors and residents.