Archaeology of Market Capitalism

The area claimed by the British Empire as Western Australia was primarily colonized in 1829 and 1863, by two major colonizing events: the development of the Swan River Colony to the southwest in 1829, and the 1863 movement of many of these settlers to colonize the northwest region. The first event represented a change from a British-based, monocultural, mixed farming community to a monocultural pastoral-dominant community of settlers (who did not integrate with the indigenous community). The second movement to colonize the northwest lead to a largely urban, multicultural system of Indigenous Australians, first-generation Australians, and Asian and British newcomers. It also led to a territorial struggle over space, labor, and resources, where power relationships were negotiated regionally and inter-culturally.Through an examination of historical records, town layout and architecture, landscape analysis, excavation data, and material culture analysis, the author created a nuanced understanding of the social, economic, and cultural developments that took place during this dynamic period in Australian history. In examining this complex settlement history, the author employed several different research methodologies in parallel, to create a comprehensive understanding of the area. Her research techniques will be invaluable to researchers struggling to understand similarly complex sociocultural evolutions throughout the globe.