Perspectives on the Early-Nineteenth-Century Frontier Occupations of the Missouri Ozarks

American settlers began moving into the Missouri Ozarks in the early-19th century. Despite extensive historical research, however, very few early-19th-century farmsteads have been investigated archaeologically in the region. Using the data generated by limited excavations at seven sites, combined with a study of store records from the1840s and travelers’ accounts, this paper provides an archaeological perspective of life on the Missouri Ozarks frontier. In particular, as in other frontier settings, status differences do not appear to be visible in the archaeological record. In this case, the explanation may be related to the Scotch-Irish cultural traditions of the inhabitants.