Who smokes anymore? Documentary, archaeological and osteological evidence for tobacco consumption and its relationship to social identity in industrial England, 1700–1850

The introduction of tobacco to Europe in the sixteenth century preceded a proliferation in societal norms, rituals and taboos surrounding its consumption. Historical sources suggest that pipe use was highly gendered, and became entangled with ideas about masculinity and sociability. The focus on male social smoking behaviours in historical sources provides limited scope for a more nuanced understanding of tobacco consumption across different social groups. Osteoarchaeological evidence for habitual smoking can also be identified from ‘pipe-notches’ and distinctive staining on the teeth. Further, the analysis of archaeological pipe assemblages provides insight into the materiality of smoking. Combining documentary, material and osteoarchaeological evidence, this chapter provides a unique consideration of the embodied experience of tobacco consumption in relation to social identity during the industrial period in England. It is demonstrated that age, class, gender, ethnicity and regional and cultural backgrounds may have all affected the ways in which people experienced tobacco consumption. Class and occupation were particularly important determining factors of tobacco consumption, as well as shaping how certain tobacco consumption practices were marginalised in print culture. We also identify a disconnect between documentary evidence for consumption of tobacco as a predominantly male social practice, and osteoarchaeological evidence for a large proportion of women also consuming, perhaps in the privacy of their own homes. The types of evidence utilised here can all present biases that result in the ‘invisibility’ of certain societal groups. However, in combination, they provide a unique perspective for understanding embodied experiences related to tobacco consumption across society.