Agency and the Archaeology of the Unconventional

This opening chapter lays out the authors’ approach to the study of the archaeology of prostitution and several types of clandestine activities. The materiality of these activities reveals them in the archaeological record, and analysis and interpretation of observed differences lead to a focus on agency. The discussion notes the role of the legislation in the major urban projects that exposed the sites of unconventional activities. Attention to class, gender, and race reveals aspects of agency demonstrated by unconventional behaviour.