Blog of the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office
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.
Many Pennsylvania Historic Preservation blog readers are familiar with the results of Year 1 and Year 2 of the Pennsylvania Baseline Survey but did you know that the Pennsylvania Baseline Survey is doing archaeology too? We have adapted to recording not just historic buildings, but also documenting the locations where important buildings once stood.
Earlier this year, PA SHPO issued its PA Archaeological Site Survey (PASS) report for 2022. Definitely add the PASS report to your “must read” list because it is chock full of interesting information about archaeology in Pennsylvania.
Are you exploring the field of historic preservation and looking for some real-world experience? The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s Keystone Internship Program provides opportunities to pursue your professional growth and contribute to sharing Pennsylvania’s rich heritage with the public.
Continue reading
Last fall the State Museum of Pennsylvania hosted their annual workshop in archaeology entitled Hidden Stories: Uncovering African American History through Archaeology and Community Engagement. The theme was born out of the acknowledgement that African Americans are vastly underrepresented in the historic record and the representations that are present are typically unfairly biased.
Continue reading
It’s that time of the year again! Time to report and reflect on another successful year of archaeological site recording efforts throughout Pennsylvania. In 2021, over 300 new archaeological sites were recorded by cultural resource management (CRM) projects, independent and university research projects, Society of Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA) members, and long-time avocational archaeologist.
Continue reading
There are some time-honored recipes in the historic preservation cookbook. The most successful, and dare I say scrumptious, preservation medleys include an essential ingredient – survey. Survey in the historic preservation profession is like the flour in your favorite holiday desserts.
Without survey, many preservation projects are challenged to rise to a superior outcome, just like a cake. My mind just might be overflowing with visions of sugar plums and cookies this holiday season, so I’ll do my best to refrain from too many more baking similes while I share initial Year 1 outcomes from the PA SHPO’s Baseline Survey effort. I think you’ll be as excited about the results as we are!
Continue reading
October is Pennsylvania Archaeology Month! Every October, events and programs are held across Pennsylvania to celebrate the commonwealth’s deep past.
Continue readingI can hear the collective groan at that tired old archaeology joke, but I couldn’t resist. We have four new(-ish) archaeologists on the PA SHPO team and I wanted to officially welcome them with a blog post. I am confident that you’ll enjoy working with them at the PA SHPO just as much as I do.
Continue reading
For the past several years, PA SHPO archaeologists have issued an annual report – known as the PASS Report – detailing the ongoing efforts to record Pennsylvania’s archaeological sites.
Despite 2020’s many challenges, over 280 new archaeological sites were recorded thanks to cultural resource management (CRM) projects and continued contributions from independent research projects, members of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology (SPA), and long-time avocational archaeologists.
Continue reading© 2026 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
Recent Comments