Conformity and resistance in the Victorian penal system
Archaeological investigations at Parliament House, Edinburgh
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9358162 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Victoria Oleksy (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2008 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 276-303 |
| Publication date | 2008-12-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Post-Medieval Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0079-4236 • E-ISSN: 1745-8137 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1179/174581308x381010 |
| OpenAlex | W2043563959 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 5 |
Archaeological investigations at Parliament House in Edinburgh included the recovery of artefacts from a void discovered during building works. This space had been used as undercourt jail cells in the late 19th century, a time of penal reform. The assemblage contains items representing domestic, light industrial and clerical activities, as well as personal items such as children's toys and women's clothing. The Victorian penal code, contemporary accounts of prisoners, warders and chaplains, and historical and criminological studies suggest that they reflect not only the Prison Board's attempt to enforce conformity but also prisoners' and prison employees' resistance to the system.Archaeological investigations at Parliament House in Edinburgh included the recovery of artefacts from a void discovered during building works. This space had been used as undercourt jail cells in the late 19th century, a time of penal reform. The assemblage contains items representing domestic, light industrial and clerical activities, as well as personal items such as children's toys and women's clothing. The Victorian penal code, contemporary accounts of prisoners, warders and chaplains, and historical and criminological studies suggest that they reflect not only the Prison Board's attempt to enforce conformity but also prisoners' and prison employees' resistance to the system.Des recherches archéologiques effectuées à Parliament House, à Édimbourg, ont permi de récupérer des artéfacts provenant d'un vide découvert durant des travaux de construction. Cet espace avait servi de cellules dans le sous-sol du tribunal à la fin du 19e siècle, époque marquée par les réformes pénales. L'ensemble comporte des objets représentatifs d'activités domestiques, industrielles légères et cléricales ainsi que des effets personnels tels que des jouets d'enfants et des vêtements féminins. Le code pénal victorien, des témoignages contemporains de prisonniers, gardiens et aumôniers, ainsi que des études historiques et criminologiques, suggèrent qu'ils reflètent non seulement la tentative par la direction pénitentiaire de pousser à la conformité mais également la résistance que les détenus et employés pénitentiaires ont opposée à ces efforts.Archäologische Untersuchungen im Parliament House in Edinburgh umfassten u.a. die Bergung von Artefakten aus einem Hohlraum, der bei Bauarbeiten gefunden wurde. Diese Raum war im späten 19. Jahrhundert, einer Zeit der Reformen im Strafvollzug, als Gefängnis unterhalb des Gerichtsraums genutzt worden. Die Sammlung umfasst Gegenstände, die für Hausarbeit, leichte Industrie und Büroarbeit stehen, sowie persönliche Habe wie zum Beispiel Kinderspielzeug und Frauenbekleidung. Das viktorianische Strafgesetzbuch, zeitgenössische Berichte von Gefangenen, Wärtern und Seelsorgern, sowie historische und kriminologische Studien legen nah, dass diese Gegenstände nicht nur die Versuche der Gefängnisleitung widerspiegeln, Anpassung zu erzwingen, sondern auch vom Widerstand der Gefangenen und Gefängnisangestellten gegen das System zeugen.Le indagini archeologiche condotte a Parliament House a Edimburgo hanno tra l'altro portato alla luce dei manufatti da un vano scoperto durante i lavori di costruzione. Lo spazio era stato utilizzato nel tardo XIX secolo, un periodo di riforme penali, per celle situate sotto il tribunale. Fra i reperti figurano oggetti tipici delle attività domestiche, impiegatizie e dell'industria leggera, oltre a oggetti personali quali giocattoli e indumenti femminili. Il codice penale vittoriano, le dichiarazioni di detenuti, secondini e cappellani dell'epoca, e inoltre gli studi storici e criminologici indicano che i reperti dimostrano non solo il tentativo da parte della direzione della di imporre ai detenuti di uniformarsi alle regole, ma anche la resistenza al sistema da parte dei detenuti e dei dipendenti della prigione.En las investigaciones arqueológicas realizadas en Parliament House, en Edimburgo, se recuperaron objetos hallados en un hueco descubierto mientras tenían lugar obras de construcción. El espacio había sido usado como calabozos durante el período de reformas penales que tuvo lugar a finales del siglo XIX. La construcción contiene objetos relacionados con actividades domésticas, clericales y relativas a la industria ligera, además de artículos personales como juguetes infantiles y ropa de mujer. Tanto el código penal victoriano como los testimonios de prisioneros, celadores y capellanes de la época y los estudios históricos y criminológicos sugieren que dichos objetos reflejan no solo el intento de la Junta Penitenciaria por imponer la conformidad con el sistema, sino también la resistencia que mostraban al mismo prisioneros y empleados de prisiones
Art · Art history · Clothing · Conformity · Convict · Criminology · Parliament · Political science · Politics · Prison · Resistance (ecology · Sociology · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies · Historical Economic and Social Studies · History · Law
| Citations per year | 0.31 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2013 - 2024 (12) |
| Highly cited | No |