Category: Science and Technology

A Little Something for Everyone: Pennsylvania’s Newest Markers

January 11, 2023 / allidavis / 0 Comments

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) recently approved 37 new historical markers, making this one of the largest number of new markers in the program’s history.

Man standing outside next to a machine removing soil. — The Paleo-Digger. Here, the auger, is being lowered into the test unit. Photograph by Barry Fritz, Quemahoning Cultural Resource Management Services.

Meet the Paleo-Digger

October 5, 2022 / Guest Contributor / 1 Comment

October is Archaeology Month! Today’s post by Guest Contributor PennDOT archaeologist Steve McDougal covers using a non-traditional method for field tests: the Paleo-Digger.

Every archaeological survey poses different conditions and challenges. For PennDOT’s SR 22/322 safety improvement project in Northern Dauphin County, one of the big challenges is the depth of soils involved. Past excavation in the 1990s for this area showed us that the soil column with archaeological potential could extend 3.5 to 4.5 meters (11.5 to 14.75 feet) in depth below current ground surface.

Celebrating Wilkes-Barre’s Walkitecture Tour

May 25, 2022 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 0 Comments

We conclude our Preservation Month celebration of the 2021 Community Initiative Award winners in the Diamond City.

Map — Preplanned drone flight. Photo: Harrisburg University, April 2021.

Drone Imagery and Geographic Information Systems for Historic Preservation

September 15, 2021 / Guest Contributor / 0 Comments

The intersection of technology and historic preservation is nothing new as the field has embraced new and different ways to engage with people, diagnose issues in buildings, and find long-buried archaeological sites. This week’s post by Christine Musser of the West Short Historical Society and Harrisburg University tells the story of how drones were used to document a historic property.

PA-SHARE logo

Welcome to PA-SHARE!

February 22, 2021 / Shelby Weaver Splain / 1 Comment

PA SHPO is excited to announce the launch of PA-SHARE!

PA-SHARE is Pennsylvania’s new online GIS and project mangement system for working with cultural resources in the Keystone State.

You can access PA-SHARE at https://share.phmc.pa.gov/pashare/landing.

Historical marker for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania along U.S. Route 220 in Bedford County.

2017’s Newly Approved Markers

June 14, 2017 / Karen Galle / 2 Comments

I am happy to announce that the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission recently approved 18 new historical markers!

As you’ll see from the list below, over half of the approved subjects are for markers in Philadelphia County. The Marker Program encourages broad distribution, so we’d love to see more individuals and organizations from Pennsylvania’s other 66 counties research their history and develop nominations for people, places, events, and innovations in their own backyard. Continue reading