The Archaeology of Class War. Edited by Karin Larkin and Randall H.

McGuire. xvii, 380 pages, illustrated. Boulder (CO): University Press of

Colorado, 2009. ISBN 978-0-87081-955-1. £52 (hbk).

Coming from the UK, I was interested to see if this account of the
archaeology of an industrial dispute from the United States would hold my
interest and attention. It did, but with varying intensity. The reasons for
this variability were not geographical distance, but the diversity of
approaches taken by the contributors.

The volume is set against the background of the Ludlow massacre during
the Colorado Coalfield Strike of 1913–14. This is an emotive issue and one
that clearly still has contemporary resonance for many individuals
connected with the dispute. It was an investigation that spanned several
years and produced a plethora of information and materials.

The book is written in many cases from an unashamedly Marxist

perspective, in which it both revels and celebrates. The opening chapter
provides an essential and fascinating background to the dispute — the
kind so often missing in archaeological texts — McGuire’s claim that ‘at
Ludlow we have crafted archaeology as political action’ (p. 4) is an early
indicator of the perspective to be employed.
The study is both comprehensive and detailed, reflecting the depth of
professionalism employed on the project. This is clearly more than a
simple archaeological investigation, coupling archaeology with other
disciplines to produce a multi-faceted approach that is both systematic
and intuitive. Issues tackled include
the development of corporate ethos through control, poverty and the role
of both company and union, the landscape of the site, the use of
proprietary medicines, the role of children evidenced through their toys,
memory and workers, public involvement in archaeology and a
transcontinental comparison of teaching
class conflict. It is nothing if not comprehensive in scope. Illustrations are
used to great effect, with over 70 relevant maps, charts, plans and
photographs employed effectively to illustrate key points throughout the
book.

As is always the case in a collection that contains work from over a dozen
different contributors, there is some variability in content. Whilst class is
clearly ingrained in every article, throughout the collection issues of
concern in contemporary archaeology are discussed in a detailed and
scholarly manner. Occasionally
contributors do so in such a strident, almost hectoring fashion, that the
significance of the content can be lost in the rhetoric. This is a pity since
most contributors manage to avoid this trap. That the passionate
resonance behind this collection can clearly be discerned is no criticism —
it is the style that can jar sporadically. It does occasionally fly its colours
slightly too proudly, and in so doing obscures key facets of the work. A
rational, shrewd and nuanced perspective is at times compromised by this
bias. Some of the contributions can also be slightly sentimental, which is a
pity for there is so much else in this collection, so much to be explored.
Maybe these are criticisms of style over substance for, at times poignant
and affecting, the work seeks to ally these two emotions and usually
manages to do so.

What is clear, though, is that McGuire is right when he argues that the
field of Labour History has been very much ignored in archaeology and
that neglect is in need of being addressed. In spite of the above
comments there is a lot in this book that can be commended as of value
and worth to the study of working
people’s history.

Manchester GORDON MARINO

Published by Maney Publishing (c) Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology

Post-Medieval Archaeology 44/2 (2010), 431–450