Partnership is often a key ingredient for a preservation outcome. The value of partnership and collaboration, the importance of preservation networks, and leveraging resources are all central ideas of Pennsylvania’s statewide historic preservation plan, Historic Preservation: The Keystone of Community. Continue reading
Category: Native American (Page 1 of 5)
On this day 12 years ago….
*Insert horrible photo with questionable style choices and aggressive side bangs*
Thankfully, this is not that kind of blast from the past. This is your yearly recap on archaeological site recording and survey efforts throughout Pennsylvania.
Two Black men, Edenborough Smith and John Harshberger appear in the 1850 census on tracts of land now situated in Laurel Ridge State Park overlooking Johnstown’s West End. From at least the 1820s, and possibly as early as the turn of the 19th century, Smith, Harshberger and their families lived in a community of Black, White, and Indigenous people that has been referred to as the Laurel Hill Settlement, Brown Farm and “the Mountain.” Eight generations lived on the Mountain until the property was claimed by the state in 1967.
October is Archaeology Month, so today let’s talk about a key part of identifying archaeological sites: geoarchaeology and geomorphology.
Quarrying our Data for Quarry Districts Part 2: The Updated Hardyston Jasper District
Back in October 2023, we shared a blog highlighting the updates to the Hardyston Jasper District that PA SHPO archaeologists were working on. These updates included reevaluating our PASS data to create and formally designate the NPS/Keeper Eligible Hardyston Jasper District, refine the district’s boundaries from the boundary established in the 1988 report by Anthony and Roberts, and identifying and evaluating sites for inclusion in the Hardyston Jasper District.
A Trip Through the PASS: The 2023 Annual PASS Report
Now that 2023 is officially in the PASS, let’s look back on another successful year of archaeological site recording and survey efforts throughout Pennsylvania.
Highlights of Pennsylvania Archaeology
November is Native American Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. One of the ways to learn about Native American heritage in Pennsylvania is through archaeology.
Any Pennsylvanian at heart has a list of places in the Keystone State that captures the essence of who we are.
Quarrying our Data for Quarry Districts
Happy Archaeology Month!
One of the most common objects shown to archaeologists for identification are rocks. Most of the time, these objects just end up being rocks, but sometimes people do find one that has been altered in some way by human hands. These artifacts are called lithics and they can be found all over the United States and throughout the rest of the world.
Intern Introspect: 2023 PASS Internship
As I look back at my time here at the PA SHPO, I realized how much new knowledge and experience I have gained. Prior to this internship, I had very little experience in the world of preservation, especially when it came to the bureaucratic level. This internship allowed me to jump into the world of archaeology here at the PA State Historic Preservation Office.
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