Neither Plain nor Simple: New Perspectives on the Canterbury Shakers

The Canterbury Shakers of New Hampshire are the most studied Shaker group in America and provide an excellent text case for historical archaeology. Survey work carried out from 1978 until 1982, followed by excavations from 1994 onwards, investigated and mapped 600 acres around the village. Evidence from these, along with documentary evidence and interviews, is used here to build a picture of the built and natural environment of the Shakers whilst also evaluating the Shakers' own self-image. What studying the material culture from the Canterbury Shaker village has revealed is that the `strict, sombre image of the early years was gradually replaced by a less rigid lifestyle that allowed for more individual expression and more consumer choices'.