Sifting through America's historical archaeological record to trace the evolution of consumer culture, the author explores the social and economic dynamics that have shaped American capitalism from the rise of mass production techniques of the eighteenth century to the unparalleled dominance of twentieth-century mass consumer culture.

Weik s comprehensive survey of the archaeology of freedom represents a critical contribution to African Diaspora studies, and serves as an admirable standard to which future research in this area should strive to achieve. Maria Franklin, University of Texas at Austin Offers a fresh approach to understanding the varied ways in which enslaved people sought freedom. Theresa Singleton, Syracuse UniversityIn the days of slavery, people of African descent sought to protect their human rights, escape from bondage, and combat exploitation. Their actions varied across different settings and times, and...