In this work I investigate changes in historical metal consumption practices over time at Biry/Ahr House, a frontier settlement in Castroville, Texas. Alsatian immigrants settled this site in Medina County as part of the empresario system of the 1840s. Biry/Ahr House was home to two families, the Birys (1844-1921) and the Groff/Tschirharts (1921-1972). Using vibrant materialism, consumerism, and collections-based research, I address the ways in which metal usage changed over time at the site as well as the factors behind these changes. I also consider the role that Alsatian heritage has played in the transformation of Biry/Ahr House from a historical home to the Living History Center it is today.
","abstract_html":"<p>In this work I investigate changes in historical metal consumption practices over time at Biry/Ahr House, a frontier settlement in Castroville, Texas. Alsatian immigrants settled this site in Medina County as part of the empresario system of the 1840s. Biry/Ahr House was home to two families, the Birys (1844-1921) and the Groff/Tschirharts (1921-1972). Using vibrant materialism, consumerism, and collections-based research, I address the ways in which metal usage changed over time at the site as well as the factors behind these changes. I also consider the role that Alsatian heritage has played in the transformation of Biry/Ahr House from a historical home to the Living History Center it is today.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Logan, Maggie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Anthropology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Ruth M. Van Dyke"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2022,"date_issued":"2022-08-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2022-08-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:10:09Z","subjects":["Metal","Archaeology","Alsatian","Castroville","Texas","Medina County","Empresario System","Materialism","Collections-Based Research","Consumerism"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://orb.binghamton.edu/dissertation_and_theses/125","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Ruth M. Van Dyke"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Logan, Maggie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2023-08-31T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Anthropology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Metal","Archaeology","Alsatian","Castroville","Texas","Medina County","Empresario System","Materialism","Collections-Based Research","Consumerism"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://orb.binghamton.edu/dissertation_and_theses/125"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["In this work I investigate changes in historical metal consumption practices over time at Biry/Ahr House, a frontier settlement in Castroville, Texas. Alsatian immigrants settled this site in Medina County as part of the empresario system of the 1840s. Biry/Ahr House was home to two families, the Birys (1844-1921) and the Groff/Tschirharts (1921-1972). Using vibrant materialism, consumerism, and collections-based research, I address the ways in which metal usage changed over time at the site as well as the factors behind these changes. I also consider the role that Alsatian heritage has played in the transformation of Biry/Ahr House from a historical home to the Living History Center it is today.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Cracked Cans, Bent Wire: Dating Historical Metal at Biry/Ahr House, Castroville, Texas"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Ruth M. Van Dyke"],"dc:creator":["Logan, Maggie"],"dc:date.available":["2023-08-31T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["In this work I investigate changes in historical metal consumption practices over time at Biry/Ahr House, a frontier settlement in Castroville, Texas. Alsatian immigrants settled this site in Medina County as part of the empresario system of the 1840s. Biry/Ahr House was home to two families, the Birys (1844-1921) and the Groff/Tschirharts (1921-1972). Using vibrant materialism, consumerism, and collections-based research, I address the ways in which metal usage changed over time at the site as well as the factors behind these changes. I also consider the role that Alsatian heritage has played in the transformation of Biry/Ahr House from a historical home to the Living History Center it is today.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://orb.binghamton.edu/dissertation_and_theses/125"],"dc:subject":["Metal","Archaeology","Alsatian","Castroville","Texas","Medina County","Empresario System","Materialism","Collections-Based Research","Consumerism"],"dc:title":["Cracked Cans, Bent Wire: Dating Historical Metal at Biry/Ahr House, Castroville, Texas"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Anthropology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:10:09Z"}