Unearthing the Ancient Metropolis: Perth Amboy's Clark-Watson Site

Authors

Richard F. Veit, Monmouth UniversityFollow

Abstract

This Clark-Watson Site in Perth Amboy, New Jersey is one of the richest early colonial sites in the state. It is named for two early property owners: Benjamin Clark a Scottish stationer and bookseller who moved to New Jersey in 1683 and John Watson (1685-1768), a noted 18^th-century artist. Excavations at the site by William Pavlovsky unearthed an extraordinary collection of colonial artifacts. The archaeological assemblage provides an unparalleled glimpse into the material life of settlers in Perth Amboy during a period when the city aspired to be a center of international trade and was competing directly and ultimately unsuccessfully with the burgeoning city of New York, just twenty miles away. Trade networks linked Perth Amboy’s early settlers to the Netherlands, the Germans states, England, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America and reflect the growth of global trade networks in the 17^th and 18^th centuries. This article examines the collection in its cultural and historical contexts. It also argues for the reexamination of historic artifact collections, including those from amateur excavations for addressing important historical and archaeological questions.

Recommended Citation

Veit, Richard F. (2021) "Unearthing the Ancient Metropolis: Perth Amboy's Clark-Watson Site," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 50 50, Article 12.
Available at: https://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol50/iss1/12