Over 26,000 individual artifacts were recovered during excavations at the Ransom and Sarah Williams farmstead. These objects—most of them fragmentary—represent items that were discarded, lost, or left behind by the Williams family during their ownership of the farm, from circa 1871 to 1905. Through these fascinating remains, we glimpse varied aspects of the family's life ranging from farming and household chores to children's play and education, personal grooming, medicine, and health. Collectively, the artifacts demonstrate that this African-American family lived and thrived in rural central Texas, using a great variety of mass-manufactured goods and leisure items. |
University of Texas at Austin
College of Liberal Arts
