The Pennsylvania Archaeological Site Survey (PASS) is the Commonwealth’s inventory of recorded archaeological sites. The program officially started in the late 1970s—when site files held by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History were combined with those kept by the State Museum of Pennsylvania—but it was built on a foundation of nearly 100 years of site recording by numerous institutions and individuals across the state. Since that time, the PASS files have been kept in a centralized repository at the SHPO, where they are now submitted, archived digitally, and made available to qualified archaeologists and researchers through PA-SHARE.
Why Do We Record Sites?
Here are three reasons to record archaeological sites with PASS:
- Archaeology is inherently destructive – When a site is excavated, or even if artifacts are collected from the surface, that part of the site can never be restored. Therefore, it is important to create detailed notes about artifacts, soil layers, features, and other field observations. These notes, combined with the artifact collection and site maps, can be used to re-create the information contained in the site. Submitting site records for inclusion in PASS ensures the long-term preservation of the information and allows it to be used by others.
- Understanding the past – While we can learn a lot about the past from studying and excavating individual sites, we learn just as much from studying where sites are located on the landscape, how that relates to different environmental and cultural variables, and how those change over time. Each site is like a puzzle, so the more pieces we have, the better the picture.
- Planning and protection – This is what our office is all about! A handful of federal and state laws require development projects to consider whether they will affect archaeological sites and historic places. The archaeological and historic inventories maintained in PA-SHARE are a crucial part of planning for projects and assessing effects on cultural resources.
Let’s take a look at the numbers!
In 2025, 303 new archaeological sites were added to the PASS files, bringing the statewide total to 27,572 recorded sites. This shows a significant increase in new archaeological site discovery and research from 2025.
| Source | Sites Recorded | % |
|---|---|---|
| CRM | 263 | 86.7% |
| SPA | 17 | 5.6% |
| Other | 13 | 4.2% |
| Individuals | 10 | 3.6% |
Of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, 49 had at least one newly recorded site. The top counties with the most sites recorded last year were as follows: Elk, Forest, Indiana, Pike, Mercer, Butler, York, and McKean.
The county with the most recorded sites in Pennsylvania is Washington County with 1,864 sites! The county with the least recorded sites is Sullivan County with only 33 sites. Sadly, Sullivan County has not had a new site recorded since 2018-let’s change that! If you know of an unrecorded site in Sullivan County, please let us know.
For more information on how many sites were recorded in each county last year, please see the 2025 Annual PASS Report.
Map of new archaeology sites in Pennsylvania by County
2025 Highlights
This year’s PASS report contains contributions from two guest authors highlighting various projects in the Commonwealth. If you like historic homesteads or Revolutionary forts, be sure to check out the full articles in the PASS Report. We greatly appreciate and thank all our guest authors for their contributions!
PA SHPO Survey Activities
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) properties survey initiative continued in 2025. The goal of this initiative is to provide updated and consistent cultural resource surveys for properties owned by the PHMC to assist in the management and preservation of both archaeological and above ground resources. This year’s survey was focused on Hope Lodge and updated the records of one previously recorded resource: Hope Lodge. The survey also recorded 5 new resources which include outbuildings associated with the main house. The constraints analysis also included an archaeological probability assessment of the property.
Hope Lodge and archaeological site (36MG166), Fort Washington, Montgomery County
While Baseline Survey was continued in 2025 in Erie and Monroe counties, archaeological and surficial evidence was not included in the methodology. The focus shifted to implementing some of the previous Baseline Survey recommendations related to archaeology.
PA SHPO hired a consultant to study two locations identified as having archaeological potential related to the Underground Railroad. The Archival Research on Potential UGRR Resources in Fayette and Venango Counties project focused on archival research, historic maps, stakeholder interviews and site visits to consider on site factors.
The PASS program would like to thank all those that contributed to and supported our efforts this year! For more information on site registration and survey, please visit: PA Archaeological Site Survey (PASS) | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
To learn more about site recording and survey initiatives in 2025, please see the full PASS Report.
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