Archaeology and History of the Chinese in Southern New Zealand During the Nineteenth Century

Book excerpt: This revised edition of Dr Neville A. Ritchie’s 1986 PhD dissertation explores the history and archaeology of the 19th century Chinese mining communities in the Clutha Valley, New Zealand. Lavishly illustrated with black-and-white line drawings of Chinese domestic and industrial sites, and of the artefacts excavated from them, this study offers unprecedented insight into the life and material culture of these male-only “sojourner” communities. Widely considered the most comprehensive archaeological study of overseas Chinese miners’ experience anywhere in the world, this volume contains the total summation and analysis of artefacts found in 23 Chinese sites excavated over nine years, which included two camps (with 40 individual huts and other features), a Chinese store and 20 rural sites, including miner’s huts and rock shelters. Considered by the Australian Society for Historical Archaeology to be a seminal work in the field of historical archaeology, this 2023 edition introduces Dr. Ritchie’s groundbreaking work to the next generation of archaeologists.