A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE PALEOINDIAN ASSEMBLAGE FROM INDIAN CAMP RUN NO. 1 (36FO65)

ANDREW J. MYERS AND MALINDA MOSES MYERS

ABSTRACT
Indian Camp Run No. 1 (36FO65) is a shallow stratified multi-component archaeological site located along the Allegheny River in Forest County, Pennsylvania.  Ongoing excavations at the site have produced a number of suspected Terminal Pleistocene age tools found within buried stratigraphic contexts.  One whole fluted point is included in the sample and has tentatively been identified as a Barnes point, a type which dates to approximately 10600 rcy B.P.  Some of the other tools recovered may relate to later Paleoindian complexes.  This paper examines the proposed Paleoindian assemblage and reviews environmental conditions in the area during the Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene transition.


AN INVENTORY OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA ROCKSHELTERS

WILLIAM H. TIPPINS

ABSTRACT
In early 2001, the author initiated a study of rockshelter sites in western Pennsylvania based on information contained in the Pennsylvania Archaeology Site Survey (PASS) files housed at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.  The results of this investigation showed that as of March 14, 2003, there were 611 rockshelter sites recorded in the 24 county study area.  Statistical analysis was conducted on the study data on a wide range of site characteristics and prehistoric utilization variables.  The results support the widely held theory that most rockshelters in the study area were used primarily as short-term camps, with peak utilization occurring during the Late Woodland/Late Prehistoric periods. The study also served to document investigator recording patterns and the disturbed condition of many rockshelter sites.


FURTHER DISCUSSION OF DREW TRADITION RADIOCARBON DATES, MIGRATION, MEA CULPA, ETC.

RICHARD L. GEORGE

ABSTRACT
This paper continues a discussion on aspects of the Monongahela Drew tradition.  Previous manuscript errors are corrected, questionable radiocarbon dates are reviewed, and challenges to proposed theories are discussed.  In addition, a possible new Drew tradition pottery trait is presented.

MOVING PEOPLE AND RESOURCES ACROSS PENNSYLVANIA’S PREHISTORIC LANDSCAPE: INVESTIGATIONS AT 36JU104

PAUL A. RABER

ABSTRACT
In the Ridge and Valley region of Pennsylvania, gaps in the ridges have functioned through time as critical places in the landscape, controlling the routes of most travel through the region.  Sites located near these gaps offer a distinctive view of regional patterns of resource use and group movement through time. The investigation of one such site, 36JU104, in the Lewistown Narrows, has revealed a record of over 8,500 years of short-term camps or bivouacs related to regional travel that informs us about the scale and pattern of both local and exotic resource use, and the changing patterns of hunter-gatherer economic and social organization.

THE LATE PREHISTORIC COMPONENTS
AT THE GODWIN-PORTMAN SITE, 36AL39

RICHARD L. GEORGE

ABSTRACT
The Godwin-Portman site, 36AL39, located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, was test excavated in 1968 by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and salvage excavated in 1978-79 by volunteers from several SPA chapters.  This prolific, multicomponent site was destroyed in 1979.  Recovered data suggest several Late Prehistoric occupations at the site, including a possible Fort Ancient presence during the 15th century A.D.  Excavated and surface collected artifacts from the Late Prehistoric components are discussed, as well as subsistence related data.

FACING MONDAY CREEK ROCKSHELTER (33HO414):
A LATE WOODLAND HUNTING LOCATION
IN SOUTHEASTERN OHIO

STACI E. SPERTZEL, ELLIOT M. ABRAMS, ANNCORINNE FRETER, and GREGORY S. SPRINGER

ABSTRACT
The use of rockshelters in southeastern Ohio intensified during the Late Woodland period as part of an expanded upland resource procurement strategy.  The excavation of Facing Monday Creek Rockshelter (33HO414) in Hocking County, Ohio documents this resource expansion process.  Data in the form of lithics, ceramics, and faunal and floral materials from the rockshelter are presented.  Based on these data, it is hypothesized that Late Woodland peoples, living in increasingly larger residential settlements within relatively fixed territories, increased the distances they traveled to procure resources, thus expanding the use of rockshelters as temporary hunting stations.

A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE EBBERT SPRING SITE

RONALD D. POWELL

ABSTRACT
In July 2003 members of SPA Chapter No. 27 began excavating the Ebbert Spring site (36FR367) located in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.  Artifacts and settlement patterns indicate that the Ebbert Spring site served as a prehistoric camp from Paleoindian times until the Contact period.  The site continued to be of importance in the early historic period, with the original springhouse probably serving at times as a settler’s fort.  Recovered prehistoric materials indicate a possible trade network along the Virginia Path from the Potomac and Susquehanna rivers.  Future excavations should continue to expand our understanding of the site’s interesting history.


HORSESHOE ROCKSHELTER (36CH488)

MARK A. MCCONAUGHY

ABSTRACT
Excavations in 1988 at Horseshoe Rockshelter (36CH488) demonstrated that Native Americans utilized the shelter from Early Archaic times through the Contact period.  Evidence suggests that the site was primarily used as a short term hunting camp during prehistoric times.  There also is evidence that the site functioned as a quartz procurement/processing camp, most likely during the Late Woodland period.  The shelter continued to experience periodic use by Euroamericans during the 19th and 20th centuries.  Boy Scout camping activities at the rockshelter in recent times disturbed much of the prehistoric cultural deposits.  Nevertheless, the excavation produced significant data regarding prehistoric activities at the site.


PREHISTORIC SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AND LITHIC USAGE IN THE UPPER JUNIATA RIVER BASIN

DOUGLAS H. MACDONALD

ABSTRACT
Prehistoric settlement patterns and lithic raw material usage in the Upper Juniata River basin of south-central Pennsylvania are examined and discussed.  Results of the study indicate that substantial population shifts occurred in the study area over the course of the Holocene, including two peaks in site counts during the Late Archaic and Late Woodland periods, respectively. These site count changes likely correlate with actual population fluctuations in the Upper Juniata River basin, rather than with changes in site visibility over time.
Lithic raw material data indicate that a variety of local cherts were favored during the Holocene.  Rhyolite was the main type of non-local toolstone used in the study area, with a peak in use during the Late Archaic period. According to regional models, during the Late Woodland period the use of villages and horticulture increased in central Pennsylvania; however, little evidence of such trends is present in the study area.  Instead, the region was likely a cultural buffer zone used by multiple ethnic groups for hunting and gathering.


COMMENTS ON MONONGAHELA DREW
RADIOCARBON DATES

JASON ESPINO

ABSTRACT
A review by the author of radiocarbon dates recently used by George (2004a, 2004b, and 2004c) to advance his concept of the Drew “tradition” revealed a number of discrepancies and contextual problems.  In particular, dates that were used to extend the temporal span of the Drew phase into the Middle and Late Monongahela periods, which in turn, suggested a re-conceptualization of the Monongahela culture, proved most problematic.  These issues are discussed, as well as the possible implications regarding our understanding of Drew cultural development.

THE CANEADEA MOUND, ALLEGANY COUNTY, NEW YORK

STEVEN P. HOWARD

ABSTRACT
The Caneadea Mound was unscientifically excavated by artifact collectors in 1963.  Although not directly involved in the excavation, the late Dr. Marian White documented much of the material contents of the mound, resulting in one of the most extensive mound data sets available in the Northeast.  The artifacts and a radiocarbon date indicate that the mound was constructed in the Middle Woodland period.  While the artifacts suggest a relationship to mounds in the Ohio River Valley, they also demonstrate regional differences.  Evidence from this and other mounds in the Northeast suggests a broad-reaching, shared burial tradition, in place since the Late Archaic period.  This shared tradition may have formed the foundation for various cultural developments, including the Ohio Hopewell.  Elements of the Ohio Hopewell fluorescence are evident at the Caneadea and other northeastern mounds, but direct Hopewell influence appears to have been minimal.  Data from northeastern mounds indicate that Hopewell may not be appropriate as a universal label for Middle Woodland mound building cultures.


ANADROMOUS FISH AND THE LENAPE

MARSHALL JOSEPH BECKER

ABSTRACT
The utilization of fish by the Lenape culture of the lower Delaware River Valley during the Contact period is examined and discussed.  Much of this information was gathered by the author by studying early colonial documents.  These historical records often include information that describes Native American lifestyles, including patterns developed during the Late Woodland period.  In the case of the Lenape, it is clear that anadromous fish collecting was central to their way of life.  Colonial use of fish is also briefly discussed.


LONG DISTANCE EXCHANGE?
THE CASE OF AN OBSIDIAN PROJECTILE POINT
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA MUSEUM

CAROLYN DILLIAN, CHARLES BELLO, and M. STEVEN SHACKLEY

ABSTRACT
An obsidian projectile point possibly recovered in eastern Pennsylvania is examined and discussed.  It and several other artifacts found in the eastern United States raise questions about potential long distance exchange of this exotic material.


PROBLEMATIC TRIBAL NAMES OF PENNSYLVANIA

DAVID J. SORG

ABSTRACT
A number of tribal names from groups apparently not resident in Pennsylvania in the Contact era have sometimes been used as though they were Pennsylvania groups.  This paper examines the possibility that these tribal names properly relate to other areas. 

SURFACE-COLLECTED ARTIFACTS
FROM THE CHRISTOFF SITE (36AL64)
 
WILLIAM E. BUKER

ABSTRACT
The artifact collection from the multi-component Christoff site (36AL64) is summarized and discussed.  Of particular interest are artifacts related to a Middle Woodland occupation and a later Monongahela hamlet, which likely dates to the 15th century.  Although the site was never excavated, the surface collection from the Christoff site illustrates its long history and the value of a properly documented collection.


AN UPDATE ON COLONIAL WITCH BOTTLES

MARSHALL JOSEPH BECKER

ABSTRACT
The discovery of an 18th century “witch bottle” during controlled excavations at a colonial site in Essington, Pennsylvania in 1976 provided the first archaeological evidence for the use of these magical charms in the New World.  Since that time, the author has identified five additional specimens in the northeastern United States.  The geographic distribution of these artifacts reflects a widespread belief in magic in the northeastern English colonies.  One recovered Pennsylvania witch bottle suggests that the use of magical charms lingered into the early 19th century.


REVISITING THE MYSTERY OF
“CARANTOUAN” AND SPANISH HILL

DEB TWIGG
ABSTRACT
One of the first expeditions of a European into the interior of eastern North American, and perhaps Pennsylvania, was that of Frenchman Etienne Brule, who in 1615 traveled south from the St. Lawrence River to the Indian nation of “Carantouan.”  The location of Carantouan has long remained a mystery, largely due to ambiguities in the historical record.
In 1878, General John S. Clark announced that he had solved the mystery and declared that Spanish Hill in Bradford County, Pennsylvania was undoubtedly the location of the stronghold of Carantouan.  However, investigators in the 20th century concluded that Spanish Hill could not be the site of Carantouan, due to the lack of archaeological evidence there.  The author presents evidence that both of these conclusions may have been premature, and that further investigation is needed to answer questions regarding Carantouan and Spanish Hill.


THE MILLER FARM MONONGAHELA VILLAGE

RICHARD L. GEORGE

ABSTRACT
Located on a level saddle between two hills, the Miller Farm site (36AL32) represents a typical Monongahela village locus in the “Monongahela heartland” area between the Monongahela and the Youghiogheny rivers.  Based upon excavation data and artifact collections, it appears that the major occupation of the site occurred during the 13th century.  In addition to typical Middle Monongahela pottery, the site’s ceramic collection includes a number of “scalloped lip” rim sherds.  These artifacts may represent the beginnings of a pottery trait that is generally associated with later time periods in the area.  The significance of scalloped lip rim sherds as a distinctive cultural marker is discussed as it pertains to the Miller Farm site and other prehistoric villages in southwestern Pennsylvania.


PREHISTORIC USAGE OF LOYALHANNA CHERT

ROBERT E. OSHNOCK

ABSTRACT
Loyalhanna chert is by far the most important and widely used chert in upland Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.  The sources, prehistoric uses, and characteristics of this chert are described and illustrated, with special emphasis on the main source of Loyalhanna chert at site 36WM265.

THE MURPHY'S OLD HOUSE SITE (36AR129):
A HISTORIC AND PREHISTORIC MULTI-COMPONENT SITE

RICHARD L. GEORGE

ABSTRACT
The 1973-74 salvage excavation of the Murphy’s Old House site, located on an Allegheny River terrace in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, uncovered evidence of long prehistoric and historic utilization.  Although settlement patterns had been disturbed by various agencies, excavation data nonetheless identified several prehistoric components, including three Late Prehistoric occupations.  One Late Prehistoric occupation, dated by radiocarbon assays, represents an unrecognized Early Monongahela horizon that produced pottery decorated with punctations, herein named Murphy Punctate.  Artifacts, especially pottery sherds that are the remains of a Middle Monongahela Drew-Two occupation and a Mead Island presence, are described and illustrated.  Analysis of biological and botanical remains provides subsistence data that reflects the riverine environment of the site.


ON THE ROCKS AT PARKERS LANDING

KENNETH BURKETT AND EDWARD KAUFMAN

ABSTRACT
The recent completion of a comprehensive exploration and re-evaluation of the Parkers Landing Petroglyphs has identified a large number of previously unknown and unrecorded figures.  As a result of this investigation, Parkers Landing is now recognized as the most intensively utilized rock art location known within the Upper Ohio River basin.  The considerable quantity, variable styles, and assortment of figures suggest its formation and use extended over a long period of time, possibly beginning in the Early or Middle Woodland periods and extending into the late 18th or early 19th century.  This paper presents an updated review of this important site and discusses its figural groupings, site utilization, and apparent relationships to other regional rock art locations.


NEW DATES FOR NEW DEAL EXCAVATED
MONONGAHLEA VILLAGES IN SOMERSET COUNTY

BERNARD K. MEANS

ABSTRACT
An accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) analytical project implemented by the author has successfully dated several Monongahela village components that were excavated as “New Deal” Depression-era work relief projects in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and re-dated one site investigated in the 1970s.  The new AMS assays have literally rewritten the occupational history of the Allegheny Mountain section of the Appalachian Plateaus physiographic province. The results indicate that American Indians first formed village communities more recently than once thought, at around A.D. 1100 and not at A.D. 900 as previously suggested.  Traditional scholarship suggested that the Somerset County region was abandoned by the mid-13th century A.D.  Instead, this project demonstrates that village communities were inhabited well into the 16th century A.D.


THE WARSAW WARRIOR:
A PROTOHISTORIC PETROGLYPH OF AN ENEMY?

DR. NIGEL BRUSH AND JEFF DILYARD
ABSTRACT
In 1995, an unusual “portable” petroglyph was recovered from a refuse pit during controlled excavations at the Norman Cullison Site, a late protohistoric village in north central Ohio.  The human form in the petroglyph seems to display all the classic features of an Iroquois warrior (roached haircut, body painting/tattooing, war club, and shield).  It was initially hypothesized that the petroglyph might represent an actual pictorial record of an Iroquoian incursion into north central Ohio - a literal portrait of the enemy.  Subsequent analysis, however, has shown that each of the classic traits usually associated with Iroquoian warriors was also widely utilized by other native peoples throughout the Eastern Woodlands during the protohistoric period, making positive identification of the warrior highly unlikely.

THE DUNSFORT SITE: BLACK WALNUTS
AND MIDDLE WOODLAND SUBSISTENCE

RICHARD L. GEORGE
ABSTRACT
Located in western Washington County, Pennsylvania, the Dunsfort site (36WH477) was partially excavated by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and volunteers in 1992-93.  Artifacts from this Middle Woodland locus are typical of the Fairchance phase, as recorded at the Fairchance Mound and Village, Marshall County, West Virginia.  The presence of four species of native cultigens qualifies Dunsfort as an Eastern Agricultural Complex site.  Significant evidence at Dunsfort indicates that the site was primary used as a seasonal black walnut processing camp.  Middle/Late Woodland people were apparently using heated stones to facilitate the cracking of the hard walnut shells; perhaps the first documented case of such a procedure.  It is also hypothesized that the Fairchance Notched points, which are found in abundance at the site, functioned as hafted tools employed for removing nutmeat.  Also of interest is the dating of the previously undated Garvers Ferry Corner Notched point type at approximately A.D. 640, based on a radiocarbon date from an associated feature.


PLANT REMAINS FROM THE DUNSFORT SITE

FRANCES B. KING
ABSTRACT
A series of 15 flotation samples and 9 excavated botanical specimens were analyzed from the Dunsfort site (36WH477), a Middle/Late Woodland locus in Washington County, Pennsylvania.  Results show that black walnut and hickory nut processing was occurring on the site.  In addition, seeds from the site appear to confirm that cultigens were present at this Middle/Late Woodland camp, one of the first documented cases of starchy and oily seeds in southwestern Pennsylvania.


THE TRAISTER PETROGLYPHS

KENNETH BURKETT
ABSTRACT
Prehistoric rock art is rare in western Pennsylvania.  Dr. James Swauger’s publication, Rock Art of the Upper Ohio Valley (Swauger 1974), describes the 12 known sites which have remained the only regionally reported locations during the past quarter century.  This paper presents a previously unpublished addition to this exceptional inventory.

TERMINAL LATE ARCHAIC MORTUARY
PRACTICES AT BERRYHILL CEMETERY

PAUL W. SCIULLI AND JAMES M. HEILMAN
ABSTRACT
The Berryhill cemetery (33CL17), located in west central Ohio, dates to approximately 3300-2500 years B.P. The mortuary features of this site, including cemetery structure, grave form, and positioning of individuals within graves, are characteristics of the terminal Late Archaic population of western and northwestern Ohio.  However, some cultural features found at Berryhill, such as artificial cranial deformation, projectile point types, and the presence of ceramics (five small sherds), are more frequently noted among subsequent Early Woodland Adena groups.
The skeletal sample from the Berryhill cemetery exhibits a strong genetic similarity to the terminal Late Archaic population of western and northwestern Ohio.  The similarity of the Berryhill people to the terminal Late Archaic population in both mortuary behavior and biological features indicates that the Berryhill people were, or were descended from, a sub-population of the terminal Late Archaic population of the region.
The continuity of the Berryhill people with the terminal Late Archaic population, both biologically and in burial practices, along with the presence of Early Woodland style cultural features at the cemetery, such as cranial deformation, suggests that the Berryhill cemetery can be best characterized as a Transitional (ca. 3000-2600 rcbp) period site.


LOST TRIBES OF THE SUSQUEHANNA

DAVID J. SORG
ABSTRACT
The history of Native Americans in the Susquehanna River Valley has rightly concentrated on the Susquehannock of the lower mainstem valley.  However, early 17th century maps and documents seem to indicate that the Susquehanna Valley was populated by Native Americans along much of its length, not merely at the main Susquehannock fort.  This paper examines the evidence for the presence of other Contact era tribes in the valley, many of which have seemingly been lost to history.


A VISIT TO OLDUVAI GORGE

W. FRED KINSEY, III
(there was no abstract for this brief paper)

A REVIEW OF THE MONONGAHELA DREW PHASE
AND AN INTRODUCTION TO THE DREW “TRADITION”

RICHARD L. GEORGE
ABSTRACT
The author introduces the primary theme of this volume of Pennsylvania Archaeologist; namely, an examination of the Drew tradition of the Monongahela culture. The history of the Drew site and the term Drew phase are reviewed. The author proposes that the term Drew “phase” be replaced with the term Drew “tradition”, based upon evidence presented in this volume. Other Monongahela cultural phases are reviewed as a matter of background.

THE KELSO SITE (36WH23) AND THE MONONGAHELA DREW TRADITION OF THE CHARTIERS VALLEY

WILLIAM E. BUKER
ABSTRACT
A partial excavation of the Monongahela Drew tradition Kelso site in 1971-72 disclosed a compound stockade, burials, and a diversified representation of ceramics.  The limited excavation added little to the pre-excavation assessment that the site was “V”-shaped; unusual in the Monongahela culture.  The earlier of two C-14 dates places the Kelso site occupation at A.D. 1155, contemporaneous with other Chartiers Valley Drew tradition Monongahela sites.  It is concluded that Kelso site artifacts are typical of the Drew tradition, based on comparisons with those of the Drew site itself and similar sites in the area.  Discussion focuses on comparisons of site physiographic configurations, settlement patterns, subsistence economies, and artifacts of Kelso with other Drew tradition sites, particularly those located in the Chartiers Valley.  Also discussed are possible ethnic origins of the Drew people and the apparent causes of their disappearance from the Chartiers Valley by the 12th century.


THE WILKINSON SITE (36WM 344),
A DREW TRADITION MONONGAHELA VILLAGE

RICHARD L. GEORGE

ABSTRACT
The Wilkinson site (36WM344) is a Late Prehistoric Monongahela village site located on a high hill in East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.  In 1981, the author and Christine E. Davis conducted a field school at the site for members of the Westmoreland Archaeological Society.  The excavation of a 500 sq m area exposed two house patterns and a portion of a third.  Artifact and settlement patterns indicate that the A.D. 13th century site is a part of “Drew-Two”, a new designation that defines a series of sites that share some, but not all, Drew tradition attributes.


A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
MONONGAHELA DREW TRADITION

RICHARD L. GEORGE
ABSTRACT
Drew tradition origins, attributes, occupation dates, and site distribution are examined in light of new research.  Analysis of pottery samples from a series of Drew tradition sites indicates that there are a large number of loci that do not conform to the stylistic criteria of the Drew phase, yet which are clearly still a part of the cultural entity designated in this volume as the Drew tradition.  The author proposes that the term “Drew-Two” be used to identify sites which possess these unique manifestations.  Lastly, the author examines theories regarding the ultimate fate of the Drew people, including the proposition that they migrated out of the Upper Ohio Valley to locations west of the Mississippi River around A.D. 1400.

Volume 71 No. 1 Spring 2001            

Vanport Siliceous Shale

Kenneth Burkett

ABSTRACT
Vanport Siliceous Shale, also and more commonly known as Jefferson County Chert, is a poorly recognized lithic material that is found within the geologic context of northwestern Pennsylvania.  This paper identifies the source area of this chert and defines its known utilization by prehistoric Native American populations.


Analysis of Artifacts from the Joanna Furnace Blacksmith Shop

Keith R. Doms

ABSTRACT
The Joanna Furnace Blacksmith Shop was in operation during the second half of nineteenth century after the furnace shifted from the production of cast iron stoves and hollow wares to pig iron production.  The analysis of metal artifacts, usually identified simply as scrap in other studies, reveals that the smith's activities differed little from blacksmith shops in other rural settings not directly associated with a furnace.  Activities directly associated with the furnace included shoeing, tool repair, and wagon repair for colliers and teamsters, and pipe-fitting associated with a steam powered blower in the hot blast furnace.  Repair of agricultural implements not associated with furnace operations also occurred.


Termainal Late Archaic Mortuary Practices II. The Boose Cemetery

Paul W. Sciulli and Ray Schuck

ABSTRACT
This report presents an analysis of the biocultural nature of the mortuary practices at the terminal Late Archaic Boose cemetery.  Previous studies of the Boose cemetery skeletal material have shown that it represents a group of individuals which was phenotypically  (genetically) similar to other nearby local subpopulations, together forming a reginal terminal Late Archaic population.  The analysis of biological attributes of the Boose individuals in relation to associated cultural remains and features at the cemetery, as well as an analysis of the cultural remains themselves, revealed no convincing pattern of associations within the Boose cemetery nor a consistent pattern of associations among comparative terminal Late Archaic cemeteries.  These analyses suggest that the regional terminal Late Archaic population was comprised of local subpopulations which were generally egalitarian in social structure.  The cohesion of the population appears to have been maintained through mate exchange and other regional exchange networks among the subpopulations.  This consistent contact most likely explains the general biocultural similarities among the subpopulations.


An Examination of Ceramics from the Ducth Hill Rock Shelter: A Late Woodland/Late Prehistoric Base Camp Located in the Upper Clarion River Drainage of Western Pennsylvania

Andrew J. Myers

ABSTRACT
Ducth Hill rock shelter is located on a hillside bench overlooking the Clarion River Valley in the northern portion of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania.  During the latter portion of the Late Woodland/Late Prehistoric period (ca 1480 - 1580) the site was occupied by groups producing ceramics similar to McFate Incised and Chautauqua Cordmarked.  While nothing unusual was noticed in the Chautauqua Cordmarked sample, variants of McFate Incised were observed.  Whereas typical McFate Incised ceramics are shell tempered, a number of ceramics recovered from the Duth Hill site were tempered with crushed limestone, mixtures of limestone and shell, and crushed quartz.  The atypical specimens recovered at Dutch Hill are simply viewed as un-typed varieties of McFate Incised.  The majority of ceramic traits found in the assemblage (i.e., cordage twist, method of manufacture, decoration and vessel form such as collared vessels) are diagnostic of the ceramics produced by members of Johnson's (1994) Glaciated Allegheny Plateau (GAP) Tradition.   This paper presents detailed type descriptions of the various wares identified in the Dutch Hill ceramic sample. Data regarding the method of manufacture, design and decoration, ceramic paste, rim and lip forms, vessel shapes and sizes and cordage twist analysis are presented.  Possible relationships are made between particular sites and background information is provided to temporally place the Dutch Hill ceramic assemblage within the context of McFate-Chautauqua phase studies.


Notes on the Ryan Site, A Monongahela Village in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania

Harry A. Matlack

ABSTRACT
The Ryan site is a hilltop locality overlooking the Little Clearfield Creek in central Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.  Local collectors remember it for the many small triangular arrow pints wich it produced.  By 1960 the site ceased to produce artifacts.  Excavations were undertaken in 1987 and 1993-94 to answer several questions about the site: had the site actually been destroyed completely by farming and collecting; did enough evidence remain to identify the inhabitants; had it been a comp or a village?  The digs of 1987 and 1993-1994 led to the complete excavation of the site.  The following paper describes the results of the investigations of the Ryan site.

Volume 70 No. 2 Fall 2000         Order Form

Ten-Year Index: Pennsylvania Archaeologist 1990 - 1999 (R. Dustin Cushman)

Volume 70 No. 1 Spring 2000         Order Form

AN ARCHAEOLOGY OF ARCHAEOLOGY:  RECENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE 1938 MARTZ ROCK SHELTERS EXCAVATIONS

BERNARD K. MEANS

ABSTRACT

Located north of Meyersdale, Pennsylvania, the two Martz Rock Shelter sites were originally excavated in 1938 by a Works Projects Administration (WPA) field crew.  Prior to their destruction as a result of highway construction, compliance excavations were conducted at the sites between 1994 and 1996. A major concern of the recent excavations was whether intact cultural deposits still existed at the two sites. Available historic photographs and documents were used to estimate the horizontal boundaries of the WPA investigations. Part of the recent excavation strategy was to evaluate these estimated boundaries. This paper focuses on the use of historic documents and photographs that guided the most recent investigations of these two sites. Some results from the recent excavations are presented to illustrate the impact that the WPA had on both sites and to demonstrate that significant resources at the rockshelter sites were undisturbed by the 1938 investigations.

A BURIED LAMOKA OCCUPATION IN STRATIFIED CONTEXTS WEST BRANCH VALLEY OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER, PENNSYLVANIA

ROBERT D. WALL

ABSTRACT

A substantial Lamoka occupation at 36Un82 was partially excavated during the course of a Phase III data recovery excavation on the floodplain of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. The occupation represents the deepest of a stratified series of components that included Terminal Archaic, Clemson Island, and Shenks Ferry occupations. The Lamoka occupation consisted primarily of a scatter of hearth features surrounded by lithic workshop areas. Radiocarbon dates from the occupation surface range from 3700 - 4000 B.P. The component is defined by a number of Lamoka points, staged bifaces, choppers, netsinkers, a small number of cores, and a beveled adze. Although the excavated area of the site represents only a thin slice of the total occupation surface, the Lamoka occupation provides evidence of a variety of activities including intensive fishing, hunting, and collecting.

Volume 69 No. 2 Fall 1999         Order Form
 

Two Artifact Caches from the Blawnox Site, 36AL19

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

Lithic artifact caches from the destroyed Blawnox
site, 36AL19, located on the lower Allegheny River,
are described.  One of the caches included Early
Woodland contracting stemmed points and an irregu-
lar-shaped grooved tablet.  The second cache, con-
taining preforms and a hammerstone, is not assignable
to a prehistoric period because of the lack of diag-
nostics.  The importance of museum curated artifacts
and associated documentation is emphasized by a
report like this that relies on such sources.

 
Monongahela Mortuary Practices in Somerset County,
Pennsylvania: Observations and Implications

Bernard K. Means

Since the 1930s, systematic archaeological excavations
at Monongahela sites have uncovered a large number
of burial features and a few instances of isolated
human remains.  Despite the large number of burials,
Monongahela mortuary studies remain in their
infancy.  Previous attempts to categorize Monongahela
mortuary behavior have rested on generalities about
Monongahela burial data, thus masking important var-
iabiliy within and between different sites.  This paper
offers a preliminary examination of Monongahela
mortuary behavior by analyzing burial data from
Monongahela sites in Somerset County, Pennsylvania,
the majority of which were excavated as part of fed-
eral relief projects between October, 1934 and June,
1940.  Some differences observed in mortuary prac-
tices will be linked provisionally to aspects of village-
level social organization and to changes in the
Somerset Monongahela cultural developmental
sequence.

 
Hands Washed in a Muddy Steam: Corrections and Further
Thoughts on “Wyoming Valley Landscape Evolution...”

Donald M. Thieme

ABSTRACT

This paper expands on the article, “Wyoming Valley
Landscape Evolution and the Emergence of the
Wyoming Valley Culture” previously published in the
Pennsylvania Archaeologist (Volume 68, Number 2).
It elaborates on some cultural historical interpretations
of local cultures and suggests how geoarchaeological
studies could be more thoroughly integrated into
archaeological research.

Volume 69 No. 1 Spring 1999         Order Form
 

Prehistoric Occupations at Fishbasket

Kenneth Burkett

ABSTRACT

Excavations from 1977 to 1992 at two neighboring
sites along the Redbank Creek in Clarion and
Armstrong counties uncovered a locally unique series
of intense Late Woodland multi-occupations.  This
paper presents a detailed examination of the settle-
ment patterns and artifact assemblage associated with
these villages, while introducing regional cultural
comparisons.
 

Volume 68 No. 2  Fall 1998         Order Form
 

Wyoming Valley Landscape Evolution and the Emergence
of the Wyoming Valley Culture

Donald M. Thieme and Joseph Schuldenrein

ABSTRACT

Recent geomorphological investigations for the Wyoming Valley levee
raising project make it possible to reconstruct the evolution of alluvial
terraces flanking the middle reaches of the North Branch of the
Susquehanna. The alluvial landscape functioned throughout prehistory
as a central corridor through the northeastern Appalachian highlands
and was the setting for an important late prehistoric culture dubbed the
"Wyoming Valley Complex." Prehistoric settlement and the use of
valley landforms occurred in spite of many floods similar to those
which recently threatened the city of Wilkes-Barre and surrounding
communities in the Wyoming Valley floodplain.
 

An Examination of the Bead Hill Site in the Wyoming Valley

Gary D. Shaffer

ABSTRACT

Test excavations of the Wyoming Valley's Bead Hill site (36LU54)
revealed settlements from three temporal periods: Late Archaic camps
with later-stage stone-tool working; a Late Woodland (Owasco) hamlet
or village with Pits, postmolds, and both wild and domesticated food
remains; and a Contact occupation, with glass and metal artifacts,
possibly related to a nearby, eighteenth-century Shawnee town. Bead
Hill has potential to provide important information on regional patterns
of settlement, subsistence, technology, and exchange.
 

The Early Archaic Period in Pennsylvania

Kurt W. Carr

ABSTRACT

A variety of definitions have been proposed for the Early Archaic
Period.  However defined, it covers a time interval of significant
environmental change from a conifer dominated forest to a near modern
climatic and vegetional pattern. In the southern portion of the Middle
Atlantic region, as exemplified by the Thunderbird Complex of
Virginia, Gardner (1989) has argued convincingly for continuity with
the Paleoindian Period. He has identified the cyclical use of quarries
and relatively small territories continuing from Paleoindian times, with
little change in technology, patterns of lithic use, or changes in
settlement patterns until the bifurcate phase at circa 8800 BP. This
paper summarizes the Early Archaic database for lithic utilization, site
densities, and settlement patterns from Pennsylvania. The applicability
of Gardner's model emphasizing continuity is examined for
Pennsylvania.   A preliminary analysis of site distributions in
Pennsylvania suggests they are somewhat different than Gardner's
model but I would support his argument for cultural continuity and the
similarity of Paleoindian and Early Archaic adaptations.

Volume 68 No. 1  Spring 1998           Order Form
 

Porcupine Quillworking Tools on Monongahela Sites?
Ethnology, Evidence, and Implications

Donna L. George and Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

Several bone artifacts found on Monongahela sites have been classified
as combs. It is suggested in this paper, that the objects in question may
have functioned as multi-purpose tools used to remove and handle quills
from the carcasses of porcupines, to mark patterns on hides to be
quilled, and to flatten the quills when attached as decoration to
garments or other gear. This hypothesis is based on the resemblance
of the Monongahela bone specimens to an identified ethnographic quill
flattener. The ethnography and distribution of porcupine quillworking
is discussed as are the processes involved in the technology. Reference
is made to similar Fort Ancient specimens and spatula-like bone
artifacts that were interpreted as quill flatteners on Upper Missouri
River area archaeological sites.  Spatula-like bone artifacts from
Monongahela contexts are also considered.  A strong case for
quillworking by Monongahela people can be made; although there is,
to date, no physical evidence to confirm this hypothesis.
 

A Miniature Ball-Headed Club in the Vatican Museum

Marshall J. Becker

ABSTRACT

A miniature wooden ball-headed club in the collections
of the Vatican Museum is related in shape to
Susquehannock examples known archaeologically from
Pennsylvania and also from museum collections. The
similarities with other documented ball-headed clubs, as
well as with the known "toy" size examples from a
Susquehannock site, suggest an Eastern Woodlands
origin for this piece, or at least some cultural
connection.  Several other Native American objects
known to come from medicine bundles are believed to be
variant examples of miniature clubs, including two
previously identified as "drum beaters. " A Potawatomi
miniature ball-headed club from a "man's business"
bundle provides a close parallel in form to the Vatican
example. The six known pieces suggest a medicine or
other bundle origin for the Vatican example. The scant
record associated with the Vatican miniature club
indicates a Blackfoot origin, but reasons are presented
for considering this club as an early 19th century item
produced by an Eastern Woodland people who had
moved west by the 19th century, possibly the
Susquehannock or Lenape ("Delaware"), or perhaps by
a Potawatomi or Eastern Siouan group.
 

Hannah Freeman's Baskets

Jay F. Custer

ABSTRACT

Two baskets attributed to Hannah Freeman ("Indian Hannah"), a
Lenape who lived in the Brandywine Valley during the 18th century,
are included in the collections of the Chester County Historical Society.
No documentary evidence exists to link the baskets to Hannah
Freeman. One plaited basket does resemble examples made by various
Algonkian-speaking groups of southern New England. The second
example, a rib "melon basket," is not a form commonly made by
Native Americans. No attributes of either basket either confirm or
refute their authenticity as 18th century products of Hannah Freeman.
 

 
Excavation of the Little Kiln Site (36ME226),
Mercer County, Pennsylvania

Barbara J. Gundy

ABSTRACT

The Little Kiln site is an example of a late 19th century,
non-industrialized, small scale historic period earth-
enware production locality. The archaeological excava-
tion there was undertaken in order to investigate the
physical nature of this pottery and formulate a history
of its use. The plant is comprised of a single chamber,
twin flue beehive domed updraft kiln, made of red
brick; a small waster pile; and a small trash pit. All of
the features present at the site date between 1850 and
1900.. The earthenware waster sherds reveal a homo-
geneous utilitarian vessel assemblage. The identity of
the potters doing the work at 35ME226 is tenuous and
it appears that the landowners were not the potters.
 

Archaic Manifestations of the Weikert Site and the
Middle Creek Valley, Adams County, Pennsylvania

Louis S. Morgan, M.D.

ABSTRACT

Located near the Maryland border of Adams County in
southeastern Pennsylvania, the Weikert site and 13
smaller sites represent a broad lithic complex.  A
collection obtained through surface gathering by the
writer over a 20 year period between the early 1930s
and the early 1950s, along with a large number of
artifacts from other local collections, make it possible to
formulate some generalized impressions.

Volume 67  No. 1  Spring 1997          Order Form
 

McFate Symposium Papers

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

This introduction briefly traces the prior archaeological in-
vestigations of McFate sites. The papers published in this vol-
ume are edited versions of presentations made at the 1994
annual meeting of The Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.
 

The McFate Site and Late Woodland Settlement and
Subsistence in French Creek Valley,
Northwestern Pennsylvania

Carl K. Burkett, Jr. and Richard K. Cunningham

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the multi-component McFate site
(36CW1), located in French Creek valley, northwestern Penn-
sylvania. It focuses on the unpublished manuscript of the 1938
excavations there by Harry L. Schoff and the series of Late
Woodland stockaded villages he discovered. It describes
Schoff's excavation procedures, the artifacts and ecofacts
found, and the features encountered. Schoff's detailed record
of refuse pit contents is used to study the cultural activities of
the McFate site's Late Woodland inhabitants. Subsequent
archaeological investigations at the site and at other area Late
Woodland components are discussed and an explanatory
model for subsistence and settlement proposed. Regarding
the latter, concentrations of Late Woodland sites correspond
with locations reported as meadows, or prairies, in eighteenth
century accounts. Pedological analyses confirm that soils at
these locations are of prairie origin and about 2,000 years old.
Based on these and other data, the paper proposes that fire
management of the natural environment was part of the sub-
sistence-settlement strategy of the area's Late Woodland hor-
ticultural societies.

The Smith Site: The Chautauqua-McFate Culture in the
Upper Allegheny River Valley in Southwestern New York

Kelly M. Lounsberry

ABSTRACT

The Smith site is a Late Prehistoric hillfort located in the
upper Allegheny River valley of New York. Excavations
identified the inhabitants of the site as belonging to the
Chautauqua-McFate Culture; the occupation at the Smith site
is tentatively dated between AD 1450-1550. This preliminary
report attempts to reveal the actual identity of the Smith site
inhabitants and to establish cultural and artifact attribute
similarities with other sites in the region.  Possible site
functions are also explored.
 

McFate Artifacts In a Monongahela Context;
McJunkin, Johnston, and Squirrel Hill

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

In a 1978  Pennsylvania Archaeologist report, it was
suggested that the McFate presence on the McJunkin site may
have been the result of foreign potters, namely women, living
among the resident Monongahela. Based on two excavations
of the site by Allegheny Chapter members in the late 1960's
and by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in 1976, a
large artifact sample is used to expand upon the 1978 thesis.
Comparisons with two other sites with McFate ceramics are
made and a recent C-14 date for McJunkin is utilized to
suggest a major population movement from the north in the
16th century and an amalgamation of peoples speaking
dissimilar languages.
 

An Examination of Late Prehistoric McFate Trail Locations

Andrew J. Myers

ABSTRACT

This paper examines trail locations used by members of the
McFate culture who occupied portions of northern Pennsyl-
vania, southern New York, and adjacent regions during the
Late Prehistoric period. The trails permitted the McFate
people to conduct their seasonal hunting and gathering rounds
and participate in trade activities that were occurring at that
time.
 

 
PINEY ISLAND AND THE ARCHAIC OF
SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYVANIA

Barry C. Kent

ABSTRACT

Excavations at Piney Island in the lower Susquehanna River
Valley have revealed a stratified and radiocarbon dated
sequence of Archaic projectile. point types. These types are
defined and illustrated and their chronological arrangements
are compared and contrasted with other Archaic points from
the Eastern United States. Distribution patterns of the various
types within southeastern Pennsylvania are discussed in light
of their potential implications regarding Archaic society.
 

A REVOLUTIONARY WAR BURIAL GROUND
IN BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA

Mark Shaffer and Dorothy A. Humpf

ABSTRACT
 

The City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, contacted the
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)
when skeletal remains were encountered during earthmoving
activities in a residential area. Written accounts from the
eighteenth century indicate this area was used as a burial
ground for hundreds of Continental Army soldiers who died
in  a  makeshift  hospital  located  nearby  during  the
Revolutionary War. Two skeletons were unearthed by
mechanical excavations and PHMC archaeologists removed a
third burial. The remains of two young adult men and a
probable male adolescent were identified. Associated wrought
iron coffin nails are of the type commonly used until after the
American Revolution. This information is consistent with the
written history of the site. Archaeological testing and
monitoring are recommended prior to future earthmoving
activity in this area. However, the best preservation strategy is
to avoid any unnecessary excavation.
 

THE WINTERS KNUCKLES SITE AND THE MYSTERY
HOUSE ON THE YOUGHIOGHENY

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

In 1985 and 1986 the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
excavated at the Winters Knuckles site, 36WM432, a site
located on a high, narrow terrace of the Youghiogheny River
opposite the mouth of Sewickley Creek in Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania. Although a rectangular house structure
was radiocarbon dated to the middle Archaic period, chipped
stone artifacts and a small ceramic sample suggest that a
Middle Woodland or Early Late Woodland temporal
placement for the structure is more appropriate. The artifacts,
as well as lithic workshop artifacts found in association with a
stone hearth feature, are described and illustrated. Winters
Knuckles is thought to have functioned as a riverine-resource
oriented hamlet even though ecofacts that might have
provided evidence for this hypothesis were absent because of
soil acidity.
 

THE PASSENGER PIGEON: A SEASONAL NATIVE
AMERICAN FOOD SOURCE

JOHN B. ORLANDINI

ABSTRACT

One of the most unrecognized seasonal food supplies of early
Native Americans in the Northeast was the passenger pigeon, the
most prolific bird in all North America. Its communal instinct to
seasonally nest in the same general area eventually led to its
downfall. This paper briefly discusses the passenger pigeon, its
habits and habitats, and presents evidence from several
excavations in Pennsylvania and New York that the passenger
pigeon was utilized by early Native Americans as a seasonal food
resource.
 

 
A Summary of Phase III Data Recovery Excavations at the West Water
Street Site (36CN175), Lock Haven, Clinton County, Pennsylvania

Jay F. Custer, Scott C. Watson, and Daniel N. Bailey

ABSTRACT

Intensive excavations at the West Water Street site
focused on five cultural components: Contact, Late Woodland
Clemson Island, mixed Late Archaic - Middle Woodland,
Middle Archaic, and Early Archaic/Paleoindian. The first three
components were found in a single soil strata and had become
intermixed. The Middle Archaic and Early Archaic/
Paleoindian components were found in well-defined, discrete
soil strata. The Contact component dated to ca. A.D. 1700-
1730 and consisted of a few scattered artifacts and features
representing small campsites. The Clemson Island component
dated to A.D. 1000-1300 and consisted of more than 500
features associated with numerous occupations. A stockaded
hamlet with at least two houses and a specialized storage area
was present. The Middle Archaic component dated to ca. 6000-
5000 B.C. and consisted of numerous small and discrete
campsites. The Early Archaic/Paleoindian component dated
to ca. 8000-7000 B.C. and was similar to the Middle Archaic.
 

Preliminary Findings at the Wolf Creek Site (36BT82), Butler
County, Pennsylvania

Esther R. Skirboll and Roger W. Hanson

ABSTRACT

This report discusses the preliminary results of excavations
undertaken by the Department of Anthropology of Slippery
Rock University at the Wolf Creek site (36BT82). Analyses of
artifacts and other material, in conjunction with a 14C date,
indicate that this was a multi-component site that was
intermittently used as a hunting camp from Archaic to Late
Woodland times. An outcropping of chert imbedded in
limestone approximately 1.6 km north of the west bank of the
creek and an abundance of sugar maples (Acer saccharum) with
the potential for making syrup may have served as additional
attractions to the site.
 

THE SUMNEYTOWN (36MG26) AND DIETZ MILL (36MG20)
ROCKSHELTERS

William Strohmeier

ABSTRACT

This report describes excavations of two Montgomery
County rockshelters and the artifacts recovered therein.
 

 
Biological Indicators of Diet In Monongahela Populations

Paul W. Sciulli

ABSTRACT

Oral pathology frequencies and stable carbon isotope ratios
are employed to test the hypothesis of highland versus low-
land differences in the subsistence and dietary patterns of
Monongahela populations and to place these populations in
an evolutionary and regional perspective with respect to diet.
Analyses of oral pathologies and stable carbon isotope
ratios in upland and lowland Monongahela samples showed
no significant differences. As a result, a previous hypothesis
stating that lowland Monongahela populations consumed
more maize in their diet than upland populations is rejected.
Both populations appear to have similar subsistence patterns
with maize contributing about 50% of the total diet.
In an evolutionary perspective, Monongahela populations
appear similar in diet to other Late Prehistoric populations in
the area all of which are quite distinctive, in both oral pa-
thology frequencies and stable carbon isotope ratios, from
temporally earlier populations.
 

ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN KNOX
COUNTY, OHIO: THE ACTON SITE (33KN345)

P. Nick Kardulias, Joseph L. Rife, Eric A. Eggers, Heather L. Gayheart,
and Andrew W. Kindon

ABSTRACT

Knox County in central Ohio has a rich archaeological record,
but the area has received little systematic attention from
archaeologists. The county lies in an important transitional
zone between the major drainages to the south, which were
the heartland of the Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient
cultures, and the northern part of the state, where social
development evidently followed a somewhat different tra-
jectory during the Woodland and Late Prehistoric periods.
Work in the area has been sporadic since the initial efforts of
Cyrus Thomas and William Mills. The goal of the Kenyon
College Kokosing River Basin Archaeological Survey is to
gather data systematically about prehistoric land use, settle-
ment patterns, exchange systems, and technology in eastern
Knox County. To date, the focus has been on survey in the
Kokosing drainage and excavation of the multi-component
Acton Site (33KN345).
 

 
Prehistoric Settlement and Resource Use in the Aughwick
Creek Valley and Adjoining Areas of Central Pennsylvania

Paul A. Raber

ABSTRACT

The Aughwick Creek Valley and adjoining valleys in central
Pennsylvania served as a major route of both prehistoric and
historic movement and communication through the central
section of the Ridge and Valley Province. Recent investiga-
tions have examined and characterized a number of prehis-
toric sites in this region. Collectively, these sites provide a
picture of prehistoric settlement and resource procurement
through time. Two overlapping settlement patterns are ev-
ident: (1) those base camps and resource procurement camps
focused on local resources, (2) a number of small trailside
camps that seem to be directly related to the long-distance
movement of rhyolite and other lithic materials through the
valley. This movement of rhyolite from sources on South
Mountain apparently began during the Early Archaic Period
and continued through the Late Woodland Period.
 

Data Recovery Excavations at the Slackwater Site (36LA207),
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Jay F. Custer, Angela Hoseth, Dawn Cheshaek, Mara Guttman,
and Karen Iplenski

ABSTRACT

Phase III excavations at the Slackwater Site near Millersville,
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, exposed an entire Shenks
Ferry village. Fifty-six houses and a central ceremonial struc-
ture were enclosed within a double fence with an area of
approximately two acres. A variety of data indicate a Funk
Phase occupation circa A.D. 1450. The population estimate
for the site is between 500 and 550 people and the duration
of occupation is more than one year and less than two years.
The central ceremonial structure has components aligned
with various celestial landmarks of the day and night sky.
The central structure alignment and aspects of the village
plan indicate that Shenks Ferry groups were full-fledged par-
ticipants in the agricultural ritual complex of the Eastern
Woodlands.
 

 
Archaeological Investigations at the Mon City Site
(36WH737), Washington County, Pennsylvania

John P. Hart

ABSTRACT

Archaeological  investigations  at  the  Mon  City  Site
(36WH737) on the west bank of the Monongahela River in
Washington County, Pennsylvania revealed portions of a
Late Prehistoric Monongahela tradition small habitation
site. This site occupied a narrow Holocene levee between
the Monongahela River and a back channel slough. Evi-
dence of one house pattern was documented as were stor-
age facilities, pit features, and a hearth. Pottery attributes,
including a high percentage of final Z-twist cordmarking
and dowel impressed lips, exemplify the late Middle
Monongahela period. Uncalibrated radiocarbon dates indi-
cate mid-sixteenth-century occupations. Subsistence re-
mains reflect the exploitation of a variety of wild resources
available within the immediate vicinity of the site and
nearby uplands in addition to maize-based agriculture. The
Mon City Site and another recently reported small habita-
tion site indicate that this relatively poorly known class of
sites played important roles in Middle Monongahela subsis-
tence-settlement systems.
 

An Analysis of the Faunal Assemblage from the
Mon City Site (36WH737)

Flora Church

ABSTRACT

The Mon City site (36WH737) faunal assemblage was ana-
lyzed as part of the archaeological investigations of this site
by GAI Consultants, Inc. in 1990. The site has been inter-
preted as a small Monongahela habitation locus dating to
the late Middle Monongahela period. The site occupied a
late Holocene terrace between the Monongahela River and a
backchannel slough. A low frequency of maize was recov-
ered from across the site, suggesting a maize-based econ-
omy. However, the results of the faunal analysis indicate
that the location of the site was particularly well-suited to
provide a variety of wild resources as supplemental ele-
ments of the subsistence economy. The fauna suggest the
intersection of several environmental zones, such that spe-
cies from a forest zone, edge-zone, and slough areas were all
taken by the inhabitants of the site. White-tailed deer, wild
turkey, turtles, and fish dominated the assemblage. Minor
amounts of other large and small mammals, birds, and rep-
tiles were also identified, indicating the fortuitous procure-
ment of additional resources. The assemblage is dominated
by resources which would have been optimally available
during the spring and fall seasons; however, it is possible to
acquire some species during the summer and winter sea-
sons, so that a year-round occupation of the site cannot be
ruled out.
 

Revisiting the Monongahela Linguistic/Cultural
Affiliation Mystery

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

Various theories about the linguistic/cultural affiliation of
Monongahela are reviewed. Based on petroglyph distribu-
tion in western Pennsylvania and evidence that the rock art
was a creation of Algonquin speakers, I believe that some of
the Monongahela were of Algonquin origin. The fact that
there are no petroglyphs in central and northwestern Penn-
sylvania and western New York is because these areas were
occupied by Iroquoian speakers during the Late Prehistoric
period. Other scholars have suggested that Iroquoian speak-
ers were interacting with Late Monongahela people, and
additional evidence is presented to confirm this. I conclude
that the archaeologically conceived term, Monongahela,
likely encompasses speakers of several languages, including
Siouan.
 

Geoarchaeology, Landscape Formation, and Site
Identification: A Case Study in Modern Cultural Activities
and Prehistoric Site Disturbance

Robert P. Wheelersburg

ABSTRACT

This paper examines landscape formation processes in the
Buckwha Creek Valley, Carbon County, Pennsylvania using
the methods and concepts of geoarchaeology. Reconstruct-
ing regional landform development is critical for under-
standing archaeological site modification and destruction on
uplands, resulting in the subsequent movement of prehis-
toric remains to valley floors. Interpreting how prehistoric
artifacts are redeposited at specific locations allowed more
accurate identification of intact archaeological sites along
Buckwha Creek. The results of the study call into question
the validity of the Pennsylvania Archaeological Site Survey
(PASS) files and other data bases that record archaeological
sites based on prehistoric artifacts alone. The paper recom-
mends ways to increase the reliability of site identifications
to permit the use of site files for research and cultural re-
source management.
 

 
(No Abstracts accompany articles in this issue.)
 
 

 
A Stemmed Point Cache from the Snyder Site,
Warren County, New Jersey

James T. Adams
Thomas E. Adams

ABSTRACT

In November of 1990 a cache of large, stemmed points was
found during the author's excavations at the Snyder site.
This cache appears to be related to a Poplar Island compo-
nent at the site which has been dated to 4770 B.P. The cache
and its archaeological context at the site are described.
 

The Portman Site (36AL40)

William E. Buker

ABSTRACT

This report summarizes the findings of a partial excavation
of the Portman site, a palisaded village of the Late Prehis-
toric Monongahela Culture dated at A.D. 1390. The site is
located on a creek terrace occupied by humans since Archaic
times. Physical attributes of the village are analyzed and
artifact traits are described and discussed, with emphasis
placed on comparisons with similar southwestern Pennsyl-
vania sites. While incipient Drew phase influences are noted
in the ceramics, artifacts resemble those of the Scarem site,
a Monongahela Culture village site in the upper Raccoon
Creek valley, Washington County. It is suggested that aus-
tere conditions led to an early abandonment of the Portman
village. Partial funding of the project was from a National
Park Service grant.
 

Terminal Late Archaic Mortuary practices at
Kirian-Treglia (33AL39)

Paul W. Sciulli
Ray Schuck
Myra J. Geisen

ABSTRACT

A biocultural analysis of the mortuary features of the termi-
nal Late Archaic (2952 B.P.) Kirian-Treglia cemetery indi-
cates that all individuals were treated in a generally similar
manner with little overt emphasis placed on mortuary, and
presumably status, differentiation. While some variation in
mortuary treatment occurred, much of the variation appears
to be based on the universal distinctions of age, sex, and
ability. The population using this cemetery was thus essen-
tially socially egalitarian.
In most respects the Kirian-Treglia population was similar
to other terminal Late Archaic populations of the region
usually referred to collectively as the Glacial Kame Complex.
The biocultural data derived from the Kirian-Treglia site
are unable to refute the hypotheses proposed by Brose
(1979) to explain the pattern of territoriality, exchange, and
social structure among Late Archaic populations of the East-
ern Woodlands.
 

Lenape Shelters: Possible Examples from the Contact Period

Marshall J. Becker

ABSTRACT

At the Printzhof Site (36DE3) a series of postmold patterns
which appear to reflect two Lenape wikiups, or wigwams,
of the Contact Period are described in their archaeological
context. The kind of shelters described as being used by the
Lenape during the early Contact Period is part of the evi-
dence needed to reconstruct their lifestyle.
 

Excavation of a Shenks Ferry Habitation Complex on Canfield
Island, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania (36LY251)

James P. Bressler
 

ABSTRACT

Topsoil removal on Canfield Island, Lycoming County,
Pennsylvania uncovered an isolated Shenks Ferry dwelling,
complete with related features. An in-house burial was also
found. Analysis of various features and their probable func-
tions within a Shenks Ferry living complex is provided. In-
ferences are drawn that add to our knowledge of the Stewart
or northern phase of these people and their relationship to
neighboring tribes.
 

 
An Unusual Feature Type from the Chartiers Valley

Ronald W. Eisert

ABSTRACT

The Wylie site #3 (36WH283), located in the mid-Chartiers
Creek Valley of Washington County, Pennsylvania, has
been the subject of archaeological investigations since 1989.
This paper is an expansion of an oral paper delivered during
the 61st annual meeting of the Society for Pennsylvania Ar-
chaeology. The feature type, here-to-fore unreported in
southwestern Pennsylvania, and its associated artifacts are
described.
 

Archaeological Investigations at The
Pidcock Sites, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Stephen W. Tull

ABSTRACT

The Pidcock sites are multi-component, stratified river flood-
plain locales that include three vertically separate compo-
nents: Late Archaic, late Middle Woodland, and Late Wood-
land. Excavated artifactual materials include a cache of seven
jasper and seven flint preforms from the Late Archaic com-
ponent and two Fox Creek-like points, argillite bifaces, and
various ceramic types from the late Middle Woodland com-
ponent. Also represented is a clearly demarcated late Middle/
Late Woodland boundary, documenting the replacement of
argillite by flint as the lithic material of choice, as well as
changes in ceramic types. Further, the recovery of buried
intact Late Woodland materials substantiating the co-occur-
rence of pottery types with both Upper Delaware River Val-
ley and Delmarva Peninsula origins has been documented.
 

Ground Stone Artifacts from the Snyder Site
(28WA528), Warren County, New Jersey

Doris A. Freyermuth

ABSTRACT

A full-grooved axe, a beveled adze, and a spearthrower
weight were found in association during an archaeological
excavation in the Middle Delaware Valley in Warren
County, New Jersey. Descriptions of these lithic artifacts
follow a brief discussion of the setting in which these items
were found.
 

Spearthrower Weights from the Miga Site (36NM33),
Northampton County, Pennsylvania

F. Dayton Staats

ABSTRACT

Two spearthrower (atlatl) weights were recovered from a
site situated along the Lehigh River in Northampton
County, Pennsylvania. A description of these artifacts fol-
lows a brief background discussion of the archaeological ac-
tivity that took place at this site.
 

 
The Middle Woodland Occupation of the
Sewickey Creek-Youghiogheny River Area and the
Hopewell Interaction Sphere

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

Excavation of two Middle Woodland sites and a disturbed
mound, located in the uplands near the mouth of Sewickley
Creek and th Youghiogheny river in Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania are described.  Site function as well
as subsistence are discussed within the milieu of western
Pennsylvania Middle Woodland participation in the Ohio-
based Hopewell Interaction Sphere.  It is concluded that lo-
cal Early and Middle Woodland populations were little af-
fected by the Adena-Hopwell “evolution.”  Evidence for a
multi-component burial mound phenomenon in Western
Pennsylvania is used to suggest an Earl-Middle Wood-
land life style continuum.
 

An Archaeolbotanical Study of Fort Ancient Subsistence in
Southwestern Ohio: the State Line Site

Robert P. Wheelersburg

ABSTRACT

A 1979 salvage excavation of the State Line site, a Fort An-
cient village in southwestern Ohio yielded an archaeobotan-
ical assemblage that is used to reconstruct the cultural ecol-
ogy practiced by the site’s inhabitants.  The proposed model
of the site’s cultural ecology is compared to those of similar
populations in the region during the Late Woodland and
Mississippian periods to test the validity of the sample.  The
State Line cultural ecology provides information on the de-
velopment of Fort Ancient subsistence in the middle Ohio
River Valley and its relationship to corresponding econo-
mies in the region.
 

Development of the McFate Culture of Northcentral
Pennsylvania: The Monongahela-Shenks Ferry Connection

Harry A. Matlack

ABSTRACT

Since the McFate site (36CW1) excavation in 1938 and the
subsequent recognition of the McFate culture, archaeolo-
gists have pondered the origin, existence, and demise of
that group.  The Bell site (36CD34), a multi-component site
in Clearfield County, appears to have been a pivotal point in
the development of the McFate culture, the last Native
American culture of the region.  By observing the various
changes in potter vessels, smoking pipes, and arrow-
points, this paper suggests how the McFate culture may
have developed from the earlier Shenks Ferry and Monon-
gahela cultures.  A theory of what may have happened to the
mysterious McFate culture is also presented.
 

 
Susquehannock Trade Northward to New France
Prior to A.D. 1608: A Popular Misconception

James F. Pendergast

ABSTRACT

First-hand accounts of John Smith's encounter with the
Susquehannock Iroquoians and the Tockwogh band of the
Nanticoke Algonquians at the head of Chesapeake Bay in
July 1608 are contrasted with an erroneous conclusion long
proffered by American, British, and Canadian scholars,
commencing as early as 1747 who would have the Susque-
hannocks trading for European goods with the French on
the St. Lawrence River and in the Strait of Belie Isle.
 

Analysis of Late Archaic Quartzite Industries from the Long
Site and Other Sites of the Middle Atlantic Piedmont

Jay F. Custer

ABSTRACT

The Long site collection consists of a large number of quartz-
ite broadspears, stemmed points, and bifaces in various
stages of reduction. The broadspears are similar to Savan-
nah River types and date to the end of the Late Archaic
Period. The collection shows the complete sequence of bi-
face reduction which began with a large edged flake and
ended with either broadspears or narrow-bladed stemmed
points. Similar broadspears and bifaces of quartzite are seen
at a number of other sites in southeastern Pennsylvania and
seem to show similar reduction sequences. The develop-
ment of a local quartzite-based broadspear technology in
southeastern Pennsylvania is typical of other similarly dated
localized lithic technologies of the Pennsylvania Piedmont.
 

Markings on Bone Artifacts from the Bell Site (36CD31C):
Notches, Scratches, and Cross-hatches

Harry A. Matlack

ABSTRACT

Many archaeologists have not considered the interpretation
of decorations on bone and antler artifacts. This article de-
scribes a series of decorated bone and antler artifacts from
the Bell site, a Late Woodland site in northwestern Penn-
sylvania. Many incised designs and alterations of the bone
artifacts seem to have been done for aesthetic reasons. How-
ever, others may have been related to use of bone artifacts as
tally devices or musical instruments. Archaeologists are
urged to describe and consider the interpretation of deco-
rated bone artifacts from other sites in Pennsylvania.
 

A Supplementary Report on the Late Woodland Ceramics
from the Overpeck Site (36BU5)

Doris A. Freyermuth
F. Dayton Staats

ABSTRACT

Subsequent to the publication of the Overpeck Site report in
the Pennsylvania Archaeologist (Vol. 50, No. 3, 1980), ad-
ditional Late Woodland pottery collections from Overpeck
have become available for description and analysis. This
supplementary report provides a brief history of the archae-
ological investigations that took place at the Overpeck site
and presents data and illustrations of Late Woodland pot-
tery specimens not presented in the 1980 report.
 

Early Late Woodland in Western Pennsylvania; the Backstrum
Side Notched Point Evidence

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

One of the least understood prehistoric periods in south-
western Pennsylvania is the 400 to 500 years between Mid-
dle Woodland Hopewell and Late Prehistoric Monongahela.
Because of this data hiatus, the Backstrum Side Notched
point is proposed as an Early Late Woodland cultural
marker. Morphological attributes are described and relation-
ships with other Early Late Woodland phases are discussed.
Possible significant is a distributional pattern that generally
duplicates that of Monongahela villages.
 

A Pewter Effigy Pipe From Pennsylvania in the Collections
of The University Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania

David A. Anderson

ABSTRACT

In 1899, a well preserved example of a pewter effigy pipe
was purchased by the Free Museum of Science and Art, as
The University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
was then known. The piece is described and compared with
other examples of pewter effigy pipes. Through this com?
parison, a possible date for the piece is presented. Finally,
using information available in the records of The University
Museum, the possibility for the existence of a previously
unknown, though probably destroyed, contact period site
near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is explored.
 

Native American Rock Art in the Eastern United States

James L. Swauger

ABSTRACT

Prepared nearly ten years ago, this article reviews
petroglyphs and pictographs studies in the United States
east of the Mississippi River. Additions have been made to
the listing since it was prepared chiefly through reports the
author has received in his capacity as Regional Representa-
tive of the American Rode Art Research Association's Com-
mittee for Conservation and Protection, but the number of
sites added to the list has not been dramatic. They are added
to the original text listings of investigators, reporters, and
publications.
 

 
A Small Tocks Island Component at the Snyder Site,
Warren County, New Jersey

James T. Adams
Thomas E. Adams

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a Middle Woodland hearth with asso-
ciated Tocks Island projectile points and Abbott Dentate pot-
tery identified by the authors in July 1989. Charcoal from
this hearth has been dated to A.D. 465.
 

The Perkiomenville Rockshelters

William Strohmeier

ABSTRACT

Excavations at five rockshelters located in Montgomery
County in eastern Pennsylvania at Perkiomenville on Perk-
iomen Creek are reported; artifacts from each are described
and illustrated.
 

Historical Archaeology in Pennsylvania
During the Depression

Rebecca Allen

ABSTRACT

During the 1930s Depression in the United States, govern-
ment agencies such as the Civil Works Administration
(CWA) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) were
created to provide sources of employment. Because archae-
ology did not compete with business, and was thought to
have an endless supply of sites, many states used govern-
ment funding to excavate sites and, more importantly, hire
laborers. Federally-funded excavations of historic sites in
Pennsylvania during the Depression are summarized here,
including Pennsybury Manor, Fort Muncy, Fort Presqu'isle,
Fort LeBoeuf, Fort Augusta, and Printzhof. Although these
excavations focused primarily on restoration of historic sites
and buildings, a great deal was accomplished in establishing
historical archaeology as a recognized area of research and
public concern.
 

Clemson Island Pottery in the Delaware Valley

F. Dayton Staats

ABSTRACT

Although the heartland of the Clemson Island culture lies
within the Susquehanna River drainage, Clemson Island
pottery occurs sporadically on Late Woodland sites in the
Delaware River valley. This paper reviews vessel character-
istics and identifies locations along the Delaware River
where this distinctive ceramic ware has been identified.
 

A Middle Woodland Settlement in Central Ohio:
A Preliminary Report on the Murphy Site (33LI212)

William S. Dancey

ABSTRACT

Investigations in 1981 and between 1983 and 1986 at the
Murphy site (33LI212) in Licking County, Ohio, have
yielded the remains of an early Middle Woodland (100 B.C.
A.D. 200) settlement. Occupying approximately 0.5-1.0 ha
on a low ground swell on the valley floor of Raccoon Creek,
the site was explored through systematic surface collection,
test pitting, mechanical Flow zone stripping, and cultural
feature excavation. The cultural item assemblage is domi-
nated by the manufacturing waste of bladelet and biface
industries based upon Flint Ridge chert and by sherds of
plain, grit tempered vessels with flared and straight rims.
Archaeobotanical samples include members of the Eastern
Agricultural Complex. Cultural features are mostly earth ov-
ens, nearly all of which occur in a distinct zone. Adjacent to
the ovens is an area of postmolds. The bulk of the chipped
stone debris occurs on a slope in complementary distribu-
tion to the cultural features and may represent a refuse
dump. Combined, the cultural items, cultural features, and
ecofact data suggest that the Murphy site is the trace of a
sedentary hamlet. The presence of mica, exotic cherts, and
non-local ceramics argues that the occupants participated in
an intra-community and pan-regional exchange network.
 

The Stature of A Susquehannock Population of the
Mid-16th Century Based on Skeletal Remains
from 46HM73

Marshall Joseph Backer

ABSTRACT

When John Smith first contacted a group of Susquehannock
in 1608 he described these people as "gyant-like." Direct
confirmation of this observation can now be provided
through studies of the long bones of a population which was
part of the Susquehannock "confederacy." Recent excava-
tions at a Susquehannock site on the South Branch of the
Potomac River in Hampshire County, West Virginia, re-
vealed portions of a palisaded village and associated fea-
tures dating from the middle of the 16th century. This rem-
nant of a flood-destroyed site yielded 13 relatively intact
burials. Surface collection of skeletal material immediately
downstream of the site after the flood provided long bones
from at least 18 other adults. Calculation of the stature of the
individuals represented in this sample and comparisons
with the other Native American populations of this period
confirm John Smith's observations.
 

 
The Tioga Point Farm Sites 36BR3 and 36BR52:
1983 Excavations

Charles L. Lucy

ABSTRACT

Two sites (36BR3/52), excavated by The Pennsylvania State
Museum in 1983, are discussed, along with descriptions of
features and artifacts. The general conclusion suggests that
each site is typical of the multicomponent nature of the
Tioga Point Farm and that the main occupation consisted of
an Owasco people circa A.D. 1150.
 

Archaeology of the Lower Black's Eddy Site, Bucks County,
Pennsylvania: A Preliminary Report

Joseph Schuldenrein
Robert G. Kingsley
James A. Robertson
Linda Scott-Cummings
Daniel R. Hayes

ABSTRACT

The Lower Black's Eddy Site (36BU23) lies on a levee/terrace
formation flanking the Delaware River in Bucks County,
Pennsylvania. The site was originally discovered and tested
by Henry Mercer in 1893, and later by Gilbert/Common-
wealth field crews in 1982 and 1986/1987. Excavations iden-
tified a stratified sequence spanning the Late/Terminal Ar-
chaic, Early/Middle Woodland, and Late Woodland. Archaic
occupations were oriented toward intensive argillite tool
production and processing of fish and nuts. Early/Middle
Woodland components are comparatively sparse and ap-
pear to represent transient campsites. The Late Woodland
component has been largely destroyed by modern agencies
and is poorly represented. The analysis documents close
correlations between river flow regime, alluviation patterns,
and changing patterns of site function and utilization
through time.
 

The Spangler Site and the Youghiogheny River Site Cluster:
Susquehanna Broadspears in the Upper Ohio Valley

Richard L. George

ABSTRACT

Rhyolite Susquehanna Broadspears and other point types
from the non-riverine Spangler site (36S0152) in Somerset
County, Pennsylvania, are described. It is suggested that
Spangler is related to a cluster of river-oriented sites located
in the Youghiogheny Reservoir area of Garrett County,
Maryland. The presence of steatite vessel sherds at these
sites may indicated a base camp function. Comparisons are
made with radiocarbon dated sites in central and western
Pennsylvania and New York.
 

Further on the Cannelton "Sun God," 36BV146

James L. Swauger

ABSTRACT

The Cannelton "Sun God" petroglyph is reported, accord-
ing to A Guidebook to Historic Western Pennsylvania, as the
product of one Charles Jones, an eccentric of Beaver
County.
 

 
Ceramics from an Iron Makers' Cabin
(1816-1820),
Muskingum County, Ohio

Jeff Carskadden
James Morton
Richard Gartley

ABSTRACT