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Editorial
This issue is another reflection of the eclecticism of the field of industrial archaeology; we have articles on considerations of authenticity in reconstructions of canal bridges, the oyster industry, and the geochemistry of historic glass! A rich variety of interests and robust approaches to complex questions are both hallmarks of contemporary IA, and we see them again here.
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Bob Passfield brings his considerable experience to bear in his paper on the timber swing bridges of the Rideau Canal. Passfield not only reviews the particulars of the bridges and their reconstruction but also devotes considerable attention to the matter of "authenticity" in the context of reconstruction. This is a matter of some consequence, especially in light of international standards on heritage resources and consistent questions about cultural resources being "what they purport to be."
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Justine Christianson's article on a Maryland oyster shell grinding facility grew out of a HAER project, documenting this mill now held by the Calvert Marine Museum. While the existence of an industrial facility related to grinding shells might never have risen into the consciousness of most of our readers, this was a significant regional activity, and the products were farreaching, especially in agricultural applications. It is always good to see HAER projects find their way to the pages of IA, and this is a welcome contribution.
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The article by Victor Owen, Katherine Irwin, Charles Flint, and John Greenough may seem something of a departure from traditional IA fare, but on second view, I think you will find it is a good fit. This article is an example of archaeometry, the application of physical and natural science perspectives to archaeological problems. These authors focus on high-precision elemental analyses of both glass and geological raw materials to identify, or at least narrow, the sources for manufacturing Sandwich glass in the 19th century. Using analytical techniques such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and x-ray florescence, the authors characterize the elemental constituents of their samples at a trace (parts-per-million) level to detect fingerprint patterns that help identify where the glassmakers obtained the necessary materials to manufacture their products. This is just the kind of application that Bob Gordon advocated in his presentation to the "Whither IA?" conference at Lowell—the use of sophisticated scientific methods to gain insights into industrial processes and history.
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| A solid block of book reviews edited by Terry Reynolds round out the issue. |
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