{"id":4669,"date":"2022-10-19T23:10:12","date_gmt":"2022-10-19T23:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/fortstreet\/?post_type=article&p=4669"},"modified":"2022-10-20T00:16:15","modified_gmt":"2022-10-20T00:16:15","slug":"mr-de-bres-joins-harrietville-chinese-mining-village-excavation","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.thebuzz.net.au\/fortstreet\/article\/mr-de-bres-joins-harrietville-chinese-mining-village-excavation\/","title":{"rendered":"Mr\u00a0de\u00a0Bres\u00a0joins\u00a0Harrietville\u00a0Chinese\u00a0mining\u00a0village\u00a0excavation"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0<\/span>Recently<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>participated<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>Season 3 of\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>\u00a0Chinese\u00a0<\/span>min<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>village excavation in Harrietville, Victoria.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The dig was\u00a0<\/span>organised<\/span>\u00a0by The Uncovered Past\u00a0<\/span>Institute, an<\/span>\u00a0Australia-based not-for-profit\u00a0<\/span>organisation<\/span>\u00a0that conducts archaeological excavations on historic sites with public participation.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For around fifty years from the early 1860s Harrietville was home to many of the thousands of Victoria\u2019s Chinese gold miners.\u00a0<\/span>They built\u00a0<\/span>extensive\u00a0<\/span>gold mining infrastructure, h<\/span>uts<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0communal\u00a0<\/span>kitchens<\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span>dray tracks<\/span>\u00a0in the 19th century\u00a0<\/span>Chinese\u00a0<\/span>m<\/span>ining\u00a0<\/span>v<\/span>illage<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0situated<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>below Mt Feathertop<\/span>\u00a0in the\u00a0<\/span>picturesque\u00a0<\/span>Upper Ovens Valley\u00a0<\/span>in northeast Victoria<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The foll<\/span>o<\/span>wing\u00a0<\/span>site\u00a0<\/span>description comes from The Uncovered Past Institute\u2019s website:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>The\u00a0<\/span>largely undisturbed<\/span>\u00a0site includes mine workings, water races, building foundations, and gardens: a rare survivor of the heyday of Chinese gold mining in Victoria. The foundations of at least 19 buildings were discovered during a survey undertaken during Season One fieldwork in 2017. Huge quantities of food, liquor, medicines, utensils, ceramics and even coins were imported from China for the Chinese mining communities. Many fragments of these were discovered during the first two excavation seasons in 2017 and 2019, along with fragments of European tableware ceramics and glass bottles<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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During the week-long program I\u00a0<\/span>participat<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>field work<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>site surveying<\/span>, feature plan drawing<\/span>\u00a0and artefact processing<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>I attended presentations on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Chinese\u00a0<\/span>ceramics<\/span>, the importance of context\u00a0<\/span>of artefacts<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>the heritage significance<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span>numerous<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>local goldmining enterprises<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>I\u00a0<\/span>was also given<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>guided tour of<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>T<\/span>he Harrietville Museum and\u00a0<\/span>other significant archaeological sites in the area.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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One<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>relatively\u00a0<\/span>new<\/span>\u00a0development in archaeology I learned more about was\u00a0<\/span>digital photogrammetry\u00a0<\/span>which was used to create digital 3D models of a double fronted fireplace<\/span>\u00a0at the dig site, using an\u00a0<\/span>iPhone<\/span>\u00a0app, fit for purpose.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I look forward to sharing the knowledge I have gained from\u00a0<\/span>attending\u00a0<\/span>Season 3 of\u00a0<\/span>th<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0Harrietville\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Chinese mining village excavation\u00a0<\/span><\/span>with inter<\/span>ested students in my\u00a0<\/span>History<\/span>\u00a0classes<\/span>\u00a0in the coming weeks.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n