‘As far below as you can come’? Historical archaeology on vulnerability and marginalization of life at the bottom of the social ladder

Abstract

SUMMARY: In the 19th and early 20th centuries there were numerous non-proprietors and paupers in the Swedish countryside, such as crofters, boarders and inhabitants of rural slums. Multisource methods such as triangulation of written documents, historical maps and archaeological evidence are used to study the living conditions, vulnerability and marginalization of boarders and inhabitants of rural slums from an environmental justice perspective. Being poor also meant being more exposed to risks than people with greater resources and having fragile safety nets. Marginalization could offer new possibilities to the poor, but also weaker security nets and increased vulnerability.