The Line of Forts: Historical Archaeology on the Colonial Frontier of Massachusetts

Very nicely written and arranged. As a layman reading this book was a fun look into Colonial History of massachusetts. The book shows you the sites they dig, how they dig, what they find and then they go into depth about the findings they conclude based on items unearthed.

This author brings out more great information on Colonial New England;although written for the Historian and Archeologist.If your a student of New England history there is much here for the amateur too. The Line of Forts in Northern Massachusetts were built by people struggling to maintain their lands and way of life,this book reveals the drama of those daily ordeals. I have been reading about these histories for years and never knew how many forts there actually were,there being as many as ten +.The line stretched from the Connecticut River West just into New York,running along the now Vermont border.Garrison houses were mixed in and added to the defensive line also.The two main Forts studied here being Fort Shirley and Fort Pelham.These two forts only have a life span of around ten years(1744-1754), a short existence in the overall struggle during the French and Indian War timeframe. Through the discovery of objects and documents hidden away Coe gives us a glimpse of the soldiers life on the Frontier. An outstanding addition to the library of research on Colonial New England. Highly worth the price.