Asian Coins Recovered from Chinese Railroad Labor Camps: Evidence of Cultural Practices and Transnational Exchange.

Asian coins carried and lost by Chinese workers as they lived and worked in camps along the route of the Northern Pacific Railroad can illuminate daily activities, beliefs, and the movement of people and supplies along the rail lines during their construction. A review of what is known about recovered Asian coins in Chinese work camps is compared with recently recovered examples. The role of material recovered by surface collection and the conclusions made possible with them are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]