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On the archaeology of early canals: Research on the Patowmack Canal in Great Falls, Virginia

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Abstract

The Patowmack Canal is an important artifact of early post-colonial development in the United States. Under construction in 1785 the canal system utilized the channel of the Potomac River in conjunction with five canals built to by-pass rapids and falls. This paper examines the historical context of this undertaking along with archaeological investigations at the Great Falls by-pass canal in Virginia. Archaeological excavations were employed to reveal the various technological elements of this first generation canal system. This technology is also shown to be a reflection of the institutional milieu which produced this artifact.

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  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA, 20742

    Richard J. Dent

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  1. Richard J. Dent
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Dent, R.J. On the archaeology of early canals: Research on the Patowmack Canal in Great Falls, Virginia. Hist Arch 20, 50–62 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03374061

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