Conference Agenda

Session

WKS-6: An Archaeology of Firearms and Ammunition Components

Time:

Wednesday, 07/Jan/2026:

1:00pm - 5:00pm

Location: Cadillac A

Instructor: Douglas D. Scott, Applied Anthropology and Geography Program, Colorado Mesa University
Half-day workshop: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Maximum Enrollment: 25
Cost: $80 for SHA members, $100 for non-members, $50 for SHA student members, and $70 for student non-members.

Session Abstract

Archeology of Firearms. Over the past several centuries, firearms technology burst onto world history. Guns brought about massive changes in the scope and nature of human conflict and subsistence practices. Firearms dramatically altered economic adjustments and behavioral patterns across the world. Firearms became distinctive elements of regional material culture. It is not surprising that gun parts and ammunition are nearly ubiquitous in North American historical archeological assemblages. With thoughtful consideration, archeological residues of firearms usage can provide insights into the human past.

Objectives: This workshop is being offered to discuss and demonstrate methods for studying firearms, firearm parts and ammunition components found in archeological contexts. The archeology of firearms refers to the information, analytical techniques, and conceptual approaches that archeologists can use to understand the material residues of guns and use them to investigate important human behaviors that involved firearms use