The Archaeology of Class War: The Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1913-1914

The Archaeology of the Colorado Coalfield War Project has conducted archaeological investigations at the site of the Ludlow Massacre in Ludlow, Colorado, since 1996. With the help of the United Mine Workers of America and funds from the Colorado State Historical Society and the Colorado Endowment for the Humanities, the scholars involved have integrated archaeological finds with archival evidence to show how the everyday experiences of miners and their families shaped the strike and its outcome.The Archaeology of Class War weaves together material culture, documents, oral histories, landscapes, and photographs to reveal aspects of the strike and life in early twentieth-century Colorado coalfields unlike any standard documentary history. Excavations at the site of the massacre and the nearby town of Berwind exposed tent platforms, latrines, trash dumps, and the cellars in which families huddled during the attack. Myriad artifacts - from canning jars to a doll's head - reveal the details of daily existence and bring the community to life. Contributors include Randall H. McGuire, Karin Larkin, Margaret Wood, Sarah J. Chicone, Michael Jacobson, Amie Gray, Claire H.Horn, Summer Moore, Mark Walker, Bonnie J. Clark, Eleanor Conlin Casella, Philip Duke and Dean Saitta. This document includes the cover page, title page, table of contents, and the first chapter entitled "Unearthing Class War" by Randall H. McGuire and Karin Larkin. The book in its entirety (380 pages) is available from University Press of Colorado.