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73rd ANNUAL MEETING APRIL 26-28, 2002 Hosted by Four-Points Sheraton Hotel
THE SOCIETY FOR PENNSYLVANIA ARCHAEOLOGY Officers President Philip A. Perazio Vice-President Paul A. Raber (1st)
P.O. Box 972 Vice-President Amanda Valko Secretary Judy Duritsa Treasurer Paul L. Cowin Editor Joe Baker
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY
THE PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE SOCIETY SHALL BE TO PROMOTE THE STUDY OF THE PREHISTORIC AND HISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEIGHBORING STATES; TO ENCOURAGE SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND TO DISCOURAGE EXPLORATION WHICH IS UNSCIENTIFIC OR IRRESPONSIBLE IN INTENT OR PRACTICE; TO PROMOTE THE CONSERVATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES, ARTIFCATS, AND INFORMATION; TO OPPOSE THE MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF FRAUDULENT ANTIQUITIES; TO ENCOURAGE THE ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF SOURCES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL INFORMATION, SUCH AS MUSEUMS, SOCIETIES, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS; TO PROMOTE DISSEMINATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE BY MEANS OF PUBLICATIONS AND FORUMS; AND TO FOSTER THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL AND NONPROFESSIONAL OR AMATEUR ARCHAEOLOGISTS.
PENNSYLVANIA ARCHAEOLOGICAL COUNCIL Friday, April 26, 2002 9:30 a.m. Spring, 2002 Business Meeting Session moderator: Paul A. Raber, Heberling Associates Inc. Urban Archaeology in Pennsylvania Independence National Historical Park as Philadelphia's "Urban In the Shadow of Independence Hall: Preliminary Findings from the
National Urban Archeology in a Small Town: Investigations at The Diggs-Monroe
and Eruptions, Blotches, Boils, and Blood: Civil War Medicine in Downtown
Sampling Houselots in an Industrial Town, Melissa Diamanti (Archaeological and Historical Consultants, Inc.) Urban Archaeology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Verna L. Cowin (Carnegie Museum of Natural History)
73rd ANNUAL MEETING FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2002 Noon to 6:00 REGISTRATION, Lobby Noon to 6:00 BOOK SALES AND EXHIBITS Hempfield Room 7:00 p.m. SPA BOARD MEETING HOSPITALITY SUITE OPEN After Board Meeting, Room 137B SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2002 9:00 REGISTRATION, Lobby 9:00 – 5:00 BOOK SALES AND EXHIBITS, Hempfield Room 8:00 – 9:00 SPA BUSINESS MEETING, Keystone III GENERAL SESSION, Keystone III 9:10 – 9:20 Opening Remarks Mary Ann Mogus, WAS President 9:20 – 9:40 Kenneth Burkett and Edward Kaufmann (Ohio
Valley Chapter 22) 9:40 – 10:00 Richard L. George (Carnegie Museum and Westmoreland
Chapter 23) 10:00 – 10:20 Amanda Valko (Michael Baker Jr., Inc.)
10:20 – 10:30 BREAK 10:30 – 10:50 Robert Oshnock (Westmoreland Chapter 23) 10:50 – 11:10 Joan Bytheway (University of Pittsburgh
and Westmoreland 11:10 – 11:30 Bill Tippens (Allegheny Chapter
1) 11:30 – 11:50 James T. Herbstritt and Matt D. Harris (Pennsylvania
Historic and Museum Commission) 11:50 – 1:00 LUNCH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON 1:00 – 1:30 SPA Session 1:30 – 1:50 William Johnson (Michael Baker Jr. Inc.)
and Andrew J. Meyers (Appalachian 1:50 – 2:10 Donna George (Carnegie Museum and Westmoreland
Chapter 23) 2:10 – 2:30 Andrew J. Meyers and Malinda Moses Myers 2:30 – 2:40 BREAK 2:40 – 3:00 Andrew Wyatt (McCormick-Taylor Associates)
3:00 – 3:20 Stephen Warfel (Pennsylvania Historic and
Museum Commission) 3:20 – 3:40 Christine Davis and Curtis Biondich (Christine
Davis Consultants, Inc.) 3:40 – 4:00 Joanna T. Moyer (Westmoreland County Historical
Society) 4:15 Primitive Games SATURDAY EVENING 6:30 p.m. Cash bar 7:00 p.m. Dinner SPA Awards Donna George, Awards Chairperson Primitive Games Address David R. Watters (Curator, Section of Anthropology,
Carnegie Museum of Auction Keystone IV & Atrium Hospitality Hospitality Room 137B
SUNDAY, APRIL 28, 2002 GENERAL SESSION, Keystone III Moderator: Richard L. George 9:00 – 9:20 Tom East (Skelly & Loy, Inc.)
9:20 – 9:40 Christine Davis (Christine Davis Consultants,
Inc.) 9:40 – 10:00 Mark A. McConaughy (Pennsylvania Historic
and Museum Commission) 10:00 – 10:20 BREAK 10:20 – 10:40 Brian Fritz (Somerset Chapter 20 and Westmoreland
Chapter 23) 10:40 –11:00 Andrea Keller (West Virginia State Historic
Preservation Office) 11:00 – 11:20 Richard Petyk, June Evans and James T. Herbstritt
(Pennsylvania Historic and SOCIETY FOR PENNSYLVANIA ARCHAEOLOGY Kenneth Burkett and Edward Kaufman Ohio Valley Chapter 22 On the Rocks at Parkers Landing The recent completion of a comprehensive exploration and re-evaluation of the Parkers landing Petroglyph site has identified a number of previously unrecorded figures. This paper will review these findings and present an updated overview of this important site and its overall relationship to other rock art within the Upper Ohio Valley. Joan Bytheway - Anthropology Department University of Pittsburgh,
Westmoreland Trauma, Pathology, and Non-metric Variants in a Monongahelan Indian Population Recently, an osteological analysis was performed on skeletal remains of six Monongahelan burials excavated at the Consol site 26Wm100. The site dates to 1410 B.P. The osteological analysis consisted of sex and age determinations, stature, race, and a rigorous examination of pathological and traumatic conditions. Some of the pathologies found in this sample include general pathology, such as osteitis, joint disease such as spondylosis deformans and arthritis, and a small button-like tumor known as osteoma. Trauma found in this sample includes per-mortem burned and fractured bone. Some of the pathological conditions have been found in local Monongahelan populations. The significance of this study is 1.) the information from analysis contributes to the biological “data bank” of an extinct Indian population and 2.) the biological data aids archaeologists in the reconstruction of the Monongahelan Indian culture. Christine Davis – Christine Davis Consultant, Inc. Archaeology in the Outfield A Phase I Archaeological Surveys conducted before construction of PNC Park: Home of the Pirates, identified one of the most important archaeological sites in urban Pittsburgh. When the first photographs of artifacts found at the General Robinson Site were exhibited on our company’s WEB page, over 10,000 people used the site in the first month. The Pirates responded to this public interest by funding a permanent archaeology exhibit at the baseball park. The themes for the exhibit recognize the national and regional significance of the PNC Park through 2,000 years of history and prehistory. This paper describes the process from Phase I Archaeology through the final exhibit installation. Christine Davis and Curtis Biondich - Christine Davis Consultants, Inc. Geophysical Surveys at the Hannah’s Town Site The Hanna’s Town Archaeological Site is listed on the National Register and recognized as one of Pennsylvania’s significant cultural resources. For more than 30 years teams of professional and amateur archaeologists, volunteers, and students have performed archaeological excavations on this historic property. The high probability of finding burned buildings from the Hanna’s Town Indian raid along with the site’s upland soil horizons provided an excellent locality for employing geophysical testing. In conjunction with the Westmoreland County Historical Society, a combination Magnetometer and ground Penetrating Radar survey was conducted at the Hanna’s Town Site. Plotting the geophysical results along with the archaeological “ground-truthing” and past archaeological studies provided the basis for the developing strategies for future planning. The results will fascinate you.
Tom East – Skelly & Loy, Inc. Brewerton, a Scientifically Useful Symbolic Construct or a Fantasy in the Archaeologist’s Mind? Most archaeologists working in the Northeast have made extensive
use of William A. Richie’s widely distributed Typology and Nomenclature
of New York Projectile Points to type their artifact assemblages. The Brewerton
series of points, which are particularly popular with archaeologists, have
been used to assign Late Archaic period ages to innumerable otherwise undatable
archaeological sites in Pennsylvania. While some of these points certainly
are of Late Archaic age, recent evidence indicates that points that are attributable
to the various Brewerton types can date from the Middle Archaic through the
Middle Woodland periods. As a result, Brewerton points do not qualify as
reliable temporal indicators when found outside a well-dated context.
Brian Fritz – Field Associate, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and President of the Somerset County Archaeology Society, Chapter 20, and Westmoreland Chapter 23 Shade Furnace Ironworks (36So282): An Archaeological Approach to Rediscovering Somerset County’s Industrial Heritage Shade Furnace is the site of a nineteenth century iron making enterprise. Field investigations conducted by the Somerset County Archaeological Society, SPA Chapter 20, have located and recorded numerous structures and features associated with the iron works and related facilities. This field work, combined with primary documents research, has provided the framework for reconstructing the history of Shade Furnace. Using an archaeological approach has enhanced our understanding of the site and has brought to light the importance of this early Somerset County Industry. Shade Furnace highlights the transformation of the American iron industry from decentralized, countryside iron plantations to integrated, urbanized iron works. Donna George, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Westmoreland Chapter 23 A Practical exploration of the Effects of Fiber Sources on the Appearance of Cordmarking on Ceramic Vessels The likeness of a cord is preserved in its imprint on a vessel.
The length of different plant and animal fibers determines the spinning method,
angle, and amount of twist, tightness, and diameter of the cord or thread.
Possible spindles, spinning technologies, and techniques can vary by fiber
source, such as dogbane, nettle, milkweed, dog fur, bird down, and other
fibers. Richard L. George, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Westmoreland Chapter 23 Wylie #3 Site Projectile Points The twin excavations of the Wylie # 3 site by Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Allegheny Chapter, Chapter 1, SPA, resulted in the recovery of 138 projectile points and fragments. Besides the ubiquitous triangular forms, the sample includes several Le Croy points as well as Late Archaic, early and Middle Woodland types. These are described as well as small samples of early and Middle Woodland pottery. The various triangular point types reflects the four Monongahela occupations of the site as well as the disticnt possibility that the Wylie site was subjected to hostile aggression probably during the 14th century A. D.
James T. Herbstritt and Matt D. Harris – Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission The Long and The Short of it: A Different View of Late Woodland House Types of the Susquehanna’s West Branch Valley Between circa A. D. 850 and A. D. 1475, Clemson Island, Stewart Shenks Ferry, and Quiggle populations occupied the Susquehanna’s West branch drainage. Villages of these groups, who were likely Iroquoian speaking, placed their house sites on well-drained terraces and backwater upland settings of north-central Pennsylvania. Their sites revealed by postmolds and features indicate that by circa A. D. 1250 houses were expanded in length to coincide with changes in population growth and, likely, social re-structuring of regionally defined culture bases. Palisades and encircling ditches, which also appear about this time in the West Branch drainage, suggest the existence of territorial boundaries between social groups. This presentation addresses some of the long-standing questions about prehistoric house architecture such as frame and roof construction and the relationship between in-house cooking hearth, storage facilities, and space. Using state-of-the-are computer applications, postmold and pit data from six sites was modeled and animated, resulting in a transformation to a world of prehistoric 3-D imagery. The research provides a rewarding and completely new and unique way for archaeologists to interpret the architectural design and composition of Late Woodland pole frame construction long lost in prehistory but rediscovered through archaeology and 21st century technology. William C. Johnson and Andrew J. Meyers - Michael Baker Jr. Inc, and Appalachian Archaeological Consultants Population Continuity and Dispersal: Cordage Twist Analysis and the Late Woodland in the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau of Northwestern Pennsylvania Over the last four decades the analysis of the twist direction of
cordage preserved on the surfaces of ceramics in the Eastern Woodlands has
been used increasingly to demonstrate both ethnic population boundaries
and continuity on the one hand and/or their replacement on the other. This
technique is applied to cordage preserved as negative impressions on the
surfaces of Late Woodland ceramics from the Allegheny Plateau in northwestern
Pennsylvania. The resulting data strongly argues for population continuity
throughout the last 600 years of prehistory in the glaciated portion of
the Allegheny Plateau despite changes in ceramic technology. This data also
demonstrates the gradual dispersal of this population into surrounding regions
of western Pennsylvania and contiguous areas during the last quarter of
the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries. Andrea Keller – Survey Archaeologist, West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office The Jeffrey Complex: A West Virginia Coal Mine Reclamation Project This abandoned coal mine project was conducted under a cooperative agreement between the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office. Located in southern West Virginia’s Boone County, the project area contained a coal processing plant and associated structures. Though the complex did not qualify for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, research in the West Virginia State Archives uncovered several surprises. The town of Jeffrey had ties to the Blair Mountain conflict of the 1920’s, was home to a sandstone quarry, and had connections to the founders of the West Virginia Archaeological Society and the past president of ESAF.
Mark A. McConaughy – Bureau for Historic Preservation, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission The Impact of Longwall Mining on National Historic Register Sites Longwall mining is a coal mining practice that totally removes coal underlying the surface causing immediate subsidence. This mining technique is utilized to maximum effectiveness in southwestern Pennsylvania. It has had an adverse effect on several structures listed on the National register of Historic Places. The Section 106 process has not always been followed when determining impacts on these sites, and when it has, it has permitted adverse impacts that are to be repaired after mining is completed. This paper will examine how the Section 106 process and longwall mining have affected the Kent Farm National Historic Register site and other properties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Joanna T. Moyer – Education Coordinator for the Westmoreland County Historical Society Archaeology Education at Hanna’s Town Archaeology is an ideal vehicle for multidisciplinary learning for students of all ages. Although the process of digging and discovering exciting artifacts fascinates most people, the real beauty of archaeology is that it is a key to unlocking knowledge about the past. It is important that through educational efforts, we show that the process of doing archaeology is not the end. Rather, it is a means to interpreting both the great events and mundane aspects of day-to day living in both the distant and most recent past using a variety of skills and disciplines. Archaeology education at Historic Hanna’s Town, an historic Revolutionary War era frontier settlement administered by Westmoreland County Historic Society, will illustrate the presentation. This will include discussion of school programs for elementary and middle school students, the Summer Archaeology and History Camp and Family Digs. Andrew J. Myers and Malinda Moses Myers A Prefatory Account of Archaeological Investigations at Indian Camp Run: An Early Archaic Through Contact Period Campsite Located Along the Allegheny River in Forest County, PA. The Indian Camp Run site (36Fo65) is a stratified multi-component campsite overlooking the Allegheny River in Forest County, PA. Archaeological investigations conducted between 1999-2001 have produced a wide range of portable and non-portable artifacts suggesting that the site was occupied on a semi-permanent basis during the Early Archaic, Late Archaic/Transitional, Woodland, and Contact periods. While interpretations are far from conclusive certain groups are more conspicuous than others. Perhaps the most prolific occupation of the site occurred during the Late Woodland period by members of the Mead Island tradition. A large percentage of the Mead Island ceramics recovered exhibit a mixture of both grit and shell tempering suggesting that the site was being occupied during the time (circa 1150-1200) when shell tempering was beginning to replace grit as the most popular form of tempering throughout the upper Ohio valley. Although certainly less prevalent than the mead Island component the presence of European trade goods including glass beads of the blue and white complex suggests a possible Seneca occupation during the early Contact period. This paper will present an overview of potential cultural affiliations and in general present the results of findings during the first three years of excavations at Indian Camp Run.
Robert Oshnock – Field Associate, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and former President of Westmoreland Archaeological Society, Chapter 23, SPA The Consol Site (36Wm100): The First Year and a Half Investigation The first 1 ½ years of field excavation and artifact analysis of the Consol site, a late prehistoric Monogahela hilltop village site, will be presented. The excavations were conducted by the all volunteer crew from the Westmoreland Archaeological Society (WAS) Chapter 23 of SPA along with friends interested in preserving the archaeological record of the past. A single nine meter big house was revealed along with a portion of the stockade and many related features that will be discussed. The first C-14 date from the site places the village at 1410 A. D. At this time the all volunteer crew has logged 3,500 hours in the field excavating 182 one meter squares and 700 hours performing laboratory analysis on the site artifacts. Richard Petyk, June Evans and James T. Herbstritt Charcoaling in Southeastern Pennsylvania: A Preliminary Statement on the Industry, Survey Methods, and Examples of Site Archaeology This presentation focuses on three aspects of charcoaling in southeastern Pennsylvania.1) a brief historical sketch of the charcoal industry is outlined with data gathered from Old and New World 17th through 19th century sources. Coupled with this information we will present a discussion on a cluster of charcoal hearth likely used in the production of charcoal for the Codorus Furnace. 2) the paper then goes on to outline the survey and mapping procedures at the hearth sites that we employed during the winter of 2002 in recording the sites. Primary attention was focused on identifying differences in heart morphology and their settings. 3) a detailed description is provided of these hearths which are located in the uplands south of the furnace site. Using available historical and archaeological data we formulate a context for future directions in investigating these interesting historic period features. Bill Tippens Amateur Archaeology – Digging Pennsylvania’s Past A video of amateur archaeology and its contribution to understanding Pennsylvania’s past. Amanda Valko – Michael Baker Jr., Inc. The Prehistoric Diet and Nutritional Status of the Wylie Site Inhabitants Three indicators of dietary status were examined for this nutritional study of the Monongahela culture. Three dietary indicators examined were botanical remains, stable carbon isotopes, and stable nitrogen isotopes. Isotope values for six burials and botanical remains from 16 features were obtained from a Monongahela cultural site Wylie # 3 (36Wh283). Monongahela site reports were researched for documentation of other dietary indicators. The Wylie # 3 site was compared to the overall picture presented by this research. A general analysis of the nutritional status of Monongahela culture is complied to provide a more complete picture of what was occurring nutritionally with this Late Prehistoric culture.
Stephen Warfel – Bureau for Historic Preservation, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission A Tale of Two Communities Over the past three years archaeological field schools led by the State Museum have unearthed evidence of a second community on the grounds of Ephrata Cloister, one of the earliest communal societies in America. Consisting of dissident members who split from the main group in 1745, the enclave was all but overlooked by historians telling the Ephrata story. Learn how artifacts, features, and a new look at old documents challenge long-standing myths and traditions used to interpret this National Historic Landmark site. Andrew Wyatt - McCormick-Taylor and Associates Prehistoric Lithic Workshop Sites on Chestnut Ridge Bedford County, Pennsylvania Recent archaeological survey and testing by McCormick-Taylor and
Associates for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PENNDOT) resulted
in the discovery of three prehistoric sites on Chestnut Ridge in Bedford
County. The sites appear to be lithic reduction workshops for the production
of stone tools from local sources of Shriver chert. This presentation will
summarize the physical context of these sites, their content, chronology,
and the methods used in their analysis. Comparisons between these sites,
other lithic workshop sites in the Ridge and valley, and sites within the
local Dunning Creek Valley support the hypothesis that group mobility decreased
during the Middle to Late Archaic periods.
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