Red Buttes Dugout: A Case Study for Identifying Small-Scale Alcohol Production in the Archaeological Record

The American Wild West has been characterized by illicit activity in most modern and historic literature. During the Temperance period (1800-1933) of American history, alcohol consumption became an increasingly policed activity. Despite this, alcohol was still a part of many Americans' daily lives. This thesis utilizes a 20th century dugout, the Red Buttes Dugout in southeastern Wyoming, to analyze the sensationalized culture of the American West and bootlegging in a more intimate setting. The Red Buttes Dugout assemblage is analyzed for signs of small-scale alcohol production, alcohol consumption, and for other markers of domestic life in Temperance period Wyoming. This analysis will serve to determine the correlative archaeological material culture that can be used to suggest small-scale alcohol production in the archaeological record–beginning with the Red Buttes Dugout.