Abstract

Built in 1823, Inge-va represents one of the finest Neo-Classical Georgian houses in eastern Ontario. In 1988, archaeological excavations at the Inge-va estate in Perth, Ontario under the auspices of the Ontario Heritage Foundation, uncovered over 15,000 artifacts from an abandoned. privy pit. The large number of ceramic and glass vessels recovered from this discrete feature and the high degree of vessel completeness allowed several analytical and cultural questions to be addressed. The incidents of death in the family during the approximate deposition date of the material has great relevance for interpreting archaeological responses to these events, i.e. disease within the bousehold and the resulting discard behaviour. This paper will explore whether disease is a possible explanatory tool that can be used in reconstructing the past life cycle of the Radenhurst family at Inge-va and whether it provides clarification of the discard pattern uncovered in 1988.