Tropical Storm Agnes - Focus on the Forks of the Delaware

We are continuing our series examining the impact of Tropical Storm Agnes as it blanketed regions of Pennsylvania with heavy rainfall in June of 1972. This week’s blog focuses on the area of eastern Pennsylvania sometimes referred to as the Forks of the Delaware. From grade school days we all hopefully remember that the Delaware River is what gives the distinctive shape to Pennsylvania’s eastern border with neighboring New Jersey. Flowing from the northwest, the Lehigh and Schuylkill rivers are the main tributaries, or “forks”, of the Delaware River. The Lackawaxen River, flowing through Wayne and Pike counties could conceivably be considered a third (and northernmost) major fork of the Delaware. 

Delaware River Basin– Image credit USACOE website

In George Donehoo’s book, A History of the Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania, he notes that the name Lehigh is an English corruption of a German abbreviation (Lecha) of the Delaware word Lechauwekink, meaning “at the forks” or “where there are forks” (pg. 89).

The headwaters of the Lehigh River originate in the Glaciated Pocono Plateau Section of the Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province. This area roughly corresponds with what early maps identify as the “Great Swamp”. Today we recognize this area as one of Pennsylvania’s outdoor vacation hotspots, the Poconos. Much like the Schuylkill does just above Hamburg, the Leigh works its way from the north through the Kittatinny Ridge below the town of Palmerton.

Great Swamp – detail of map from Wallace’s Indian Paths of Pennsylvania

From the Lehigh Gap south, the river serves as the boundary between Lehigh and Northampton Counties until the borough of Catasauqua. Also similar to the Schuylkill, the Lehigh’s course shifts from south to east when its waters encounter the South Mountain, a topographic feature that corresponds with Reading Prong Section of the New England Physiographic Province. From the county seat Allentown, the Lehigh flows east through Bethlehem and empties into the Delaware at Easton.

The Francis E. Walter Dam, near White Haven, was built in 1961 by the US Army Corps of Engineers and works in conjunction with the later constructed Beltzville Dam as multi-tiered flood control system for the Lehigh River. According to the Army Corps’ website, it is accredited with preventing 233 million dollars’ worth of flood damage, presumably the lion’s share of that estimate made up from property downstream that was spared the wrath of Agnes. The success of the dam in mitigating severe flooding further downstream is also evident in the historical crest data available on NOAA’s website. As measured at Bethlehem, the top three floods occurred in 1902, 1942 and 1955, respectively, and at #4 (and more than 3 feet lower than #3) the 1972 Agnes event.

Constructed prior to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the F.E. Walter Dam and reservoir did not initially benefit from a systematic archaeological survey. Later modifications to the dam did however trigger archaeological surveys in the 1980s. At last count nearly two dozen prehistoric sites have been identified around the F.E. Walter Dam project area representing all time periods from Paleo through the Late Woodland. Nearly four dozen historic sites were also identified, many relating to the lumber industry that was prevalent in the area during the mid-19^th century.

Projectile points from the Tobyhanna Flats site (36Cr37)

Artifacts collected from the Tobyhanna Flats site, 36Cr37, located at the confluence of the Tobyhanna Creek and Lehigh River, are typical of many of the sites that were identified during the project to make modifications to the F.E. Walter Dam. Relatively low densities of lithic debitage comingled with historic architectural debris and mid-19th through the early 20th century domestic ceramics, iron spikes and other miscellaneous hardware fragments were found to be common occurrences. Some objects of note from 36Cr37 include the projectile points seen above, indicative of the Archaic and Woodland time periods. With a patent date of 1911 legible on the reverse, this mid-20th century brass Boy Scout insignia pin (also recovered from 36Cr37) consists of a familiar eagle with a stars and stripes shield or crest, flanked by two stars imposed over a fleur-de-li symbol, and is associated with a scout achieving the rank of Tenderfoot.

Boy Scout Insignia pin from Tobyhanna Flats site (36Cr37)

Shifting our focus slightly to the west, the tributaries of the Schuylkill begin their journey towards the Delaware Bay in the Upland Anthracite Section of the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province that encompasses the central portion (roughly half) of Schuylkill County. The eastern boundary of the Schuylkill watershed includes tributaries draining portions of western Lehigh and Bucks counties, while the western edge of the Schuylkill watershed, extending into the eastern corner of Lebanon County, represents the boundary between water flowing west into the Susquehanna and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay, and water making its way east draining into the Delaware Bay.

Flowing south through the Kittatinny Ridge, or Blue Mountain as it is alternately referred, the Schuylkill tracts southeast at the Berks County seat of Reading. Continuing along its course, the Schuylkill serves partly as the boundary between Chester and Montgomery Counties as it meanders past towns like Pottstown, Phoenixville, and Conshohocken. PA route 422 roughly parallels the Schuylkill from Reading to King of Prussia, and the Schuylkill then finally meets the Delaware River in a heavily industrialized south Philadelphia, between the international airport and the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

For the Schuylkill, the Agnes flood is still considered the worst natural disaster in Berks County. NOAA’s flood records as measured at Reading corroborate these sentiments with the 1972 crest holding the top spot at 31.3 feet, with the second highest crest a distant 7.5 feet lower. The reader is directed to the website Berk’s County Nostalgia, which has done an excellent job of compiling contemporary newspaper clippings and photographs that capture the magnitude of the flooding in Reading and the surrounding area.

Unfortunately, work to build a dam across the Tulpehocken, the Schuylkill’s westernmost tributary, that would impound the waters to become Blue Marsh Lake, would not begin until 1974. However, a systematic archaeological survey was able to be conducted in 1976, with over two dozen sites being identified through controlled surface collection and shovel testing, six of which were recommended as being eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places for their potential to yield new and important information about the prehistory of the region.

 A short article written by Ron Devlin in 2013 for the Reading Eagle entitled The Land down under at Blue Marsh Lake focuses on the impact on the residents who were displaced from their farmsteads and homes to make way for the new lake. Much history was lost, but the preservation minded community was successful in having the Gruber Wagon Works building moved to higher ground. A National Historic Landmark, now restored and with guided tours available, this late 19^th – early 20^th century wagon workshop today sits on the grounds of the Berks County Heritage Center. This unique structure is also featured in The State Museum of Pennsylvania’s gallery of Anthropology and Archaeology.

Gruber Wagon Works exhibit panel, State Museum of Pennsylvania Anthropology and Archaeology gallery

We hope you’ve enjoyed this brief overview of the Schuylkill and Lehigh Rivers, the impacts of Agnes, and preservation efforts connected to major flood control projects for these tributaries of the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. Be sure to catch the next blog as we look at flooding in the central region of the Susquehanna River valley.  Please join us on June 24^th, 2022 for  Learn at Lunchtime with Curator, Janet Johnson as she discusses the impact of Agnes on the cultural resources of the Commonwealth and highlights some of the archaeological sites explored in this blog series. 

 

References:

Donehoo, George P.

A History of Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennyslvania

Wennawoods Publishing Lewisburg, PA (1999)

 

Kinsey III, W. Fred

Archaeological Survey and Evaluation of Blue Marsh Lake, Pennsylvania

North Museum Publication No. 3, Franklin and Marshall College (1976)

 

Wallace, Paul A. W.

Indian Paths of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg (1971 second printing)

 

Army Corps of Engineers websites:

https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Beltzville-Dam/

https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Francis-E-Walter-Dam/

https://www.nap.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Blue-Marsh-Lake/

Berks County Heritage Center website:

https://www.co.berks.pa.us/Dept/Parks/Pages/HeritageCenter.aspx

Berks Nostalgia website:

https://berksnostalgia.com/hurricane-agnes-1972-berks-county-reading-pa

NOAA flood data websites:

https://water.weather.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=phi&gage=rdrp1

https://water/weather.gov/ahps2/hyrdograph.php?wfo=phi&gage=betp1

 

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Charles L. Lucy - A True Citizen Scientist

The public is fascinated with archaeology and stories of arrowheads and broken pieces of pottery found in their own backyards. They want to know what it all means and who were the people who made these objects? Reading about past civilizations, attending lectures, volunteering for field projects, finding artifacts, and even experimenting with making and using artifacts from the past are all part of the romance of archaeology. Many people enjoy it as a hobby. 

Charles L. Lucy was a talented amateur or avocational archaeologist interested in all aspects of archaeology, but he also conducted research and published his findings. Charles L. Lucy was a toolmaker Ingersoll-Rand in Athens, Pennsylvania, but also a talented avocational archaeologist for more than 60 years.  He was born February 22, 1922 and died on June 29, 2003, at the age of 81.  Charles, or Chuck as he was known to many, was mentored under Dr. Elise Murray of the Tioga Point Museum in Athens, PA (read more about Dr. Murray in our blog from January 2020 by clicking the link).  He was a member of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and a regional representative of the Section of Archaeology, a member of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, an editor for Eastern States Archaeological Federation, a member of the New York State Archaeology Association, and a member of the Tioga Point Museum.  One of his most notable traits is that he was not only extremely interested in archaeology, but he also published his findings (see list of publications below), especially in the journal Pennsylvania Archaeologist, where you can read many of his articles.

Chucks passion for archaeology and the rich archaeological resources along the Chemung and Susquehannock Rivers led to countless excavations and research. Chuck’s interest in Susquehannock pottery, especially from the upper Susquehanna Valley was a focus of his research and led to multiple journal articles and presentations. His attention to detail in his analysis drew the attention of former State Archaeologist, John Witthoft who was interested in the area and research of Proto-Susquehannock culture attributes.  Chuck Lucy participated in excavations at numerous sites with John Witthoft and later Barry Kent. These sites include Kennedy site (36Br43), Blackman site (36Br83) and the Sick site (36Br50). Witthoft examined the Lucy collection from the Sick site for his research and publication of Susquehannock Miscellany in 1959.  Lucy’s significant contributions to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) knowledge base of sites on the upper Susquehanna River and the Chemung River Valley are indispensable.

Charles Lucy excavating at the Kennedy Site with the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology in 1983 

When he passed, his family very generously donated his vast library to The State Museum of Pennsylvania’s Section of Archaeology library.  Unfortunately, our busy schedules while working in the office have prevented us from doing much with cataloging and organizing this most generous donation. Thanks to the quarantine (something not often said) and tele-working I have had the privilege, as one of my tasks, of working with the more than 1400 books, journals, maps, personal correspondence, and other materials that made up his library.  Most of the material centers on archaeology and anthropological topics, especially northern Pennsylvania and southern New York. It is clear Chuck had many interests, including religious texts, children’s books, general literature, and the natural world.  The titles span from Houses and House-Life of the American Aborigines from 1881 thru Yankee, The Magazine of New England Living in 2003; providing over a century’s worth of cultural information.  The wonderful condition of these materials demonstrate that they were of great importance to him.  All were signed by him and many include the date and place of purchase.  There are also many that were signed by their authors with notes about the friendship held between the author and Mr. Lucy.  Charles Lucy was a wonderful asset to Pennsylvania archaeology and his library is a true treasure.  It has been a very interesting task that I have been honored to work with this legacy left in our care. 

This addition to our research library is a wonderful asset that will benefit our research of the collections we curate and also of benefit to researchers who access our collections or as we respond to inquiries and emails regarding archaeological collections from the region.  We thank our many donors who have so generously entrusted us with their collections and continue to share these  donations through our blogs and our online collections.  

Research Library 

A sample of publications by Charles L. Lucy

 

Lucy, Charles

1950                  Notes on a Small Andaste Burial Site and Andaste Archaeology. Pennsylvania

            Archaeologist 20(3-4):55-62.

 

1959                  Pottery Types of the Upper Susquehanna. Pennsylvania Archaeologist 29(1):28-37.

 

1971                  Pottery Types of the Upper Susquehanna. In Foundations of Pennsylvania Prehistory,

            edited by Barry C.  Kent, Ira F. Smith, and Catherine McCann, pp. 381-392.

            Anthropological Series, No. 1, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission,

            Harrisburg.

 

1991a                The Owasco Culture: An Update. Journal of Middle Atlantic Archaeology 7:147-168.

 

1991b               The Tioga Point Farm Sites 36BR3 and 36BR52:1983 Excavations. Pennsylvania

            Archaeologist 61(1):1-18.

 

Lucy, Charles L., and Catherine McCann

1983                  The Wells Site, Asylum Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania

            Archaeologist 53(3)1-12.

 

Lucy, Charles L. & Richard J. McCracken

1985                  Blackman Site (36BR83): A Proto-Susquehannock Village. Pennsylvania Archaeologist

            55(1-2):5-29.

 

Lucy, Charles L. and Leroy Vanderpoel

1979                  The Tioga Point Farm Site. Pennsylvania Archaeologist 49(1-2):1-12

 

This week we feature a true citizen scientist. For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

Notable Women of Pennsylvania Archaeology – Louise Welles Murray (1854-1931)

Continuing with the theme of notable women of Pennsylvania Archaeology, we now turn our attention to Louise Welles Murray. A native of Athens, PA in Bradford county, Mrs. Murray was by all accounts, an exceptional individual. At age 3 1/2, she entered school and at 18 graduated from Wells College in Aurora, NY while also attending the Moravian Seminary in Bethlehem, PA and Mr. Brown’s school in Auburn, NY. She is credited with bringing attention to the archaeological resources of Bradford County and the town of Athens, which sits at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chemung Rivers near the New York state line in northeastern Pennsylvania. She is also credited with founding the Tioga Point Museum of which she served as the director until her death in 1931.

Mrs. Murray was described as an “ardent lover of accuracy” giving her time freely so that others might share in her knowledge of the area’s early inhabitants. She was an authority on Pennsylvania history.

Louise Welles Murray (1854-1831)

Louise Welles Murray’s interest in historical research appears to have been seeded by the fulfillment of a request made by her mother that she should publish material relating to some French Refugees and their Azilum. Louise’s grandfather was Bartholomew Laporte, a French Émigré and one of the 1794 founders of French Asylum. After 14 years of research, her volume, “The Story of Some French Refugees and their Azilum” was published in 1903. A second edition was published in 1917 with additional information gathered by Mrs. Murray.

In 1882, when Native American burials were discovered in the garden plot of her home in Athens, it attracted the attention of both Louise and her husband Millard P. Murray.   For Mrs. Murray, this was the beginning of a 50-year interest in the native inhabitants of Pennsylvania. The site would come to be known as the Murray Garden site (36Br2). This site, significant for its evidence of early Susquehannock pottery, is believed to have been occupied about 1525.

A selection of early Susquehannock pottery recovered from the Murray Garden site.

Members of the Susquehanna Archaeological Expedition were invited by the Murrays to excavate their garden site in 1919. The results of which she published in two parts in the journal American Anthropologist (1921) under the title “Aboriginal Sites in and Near ‘Teaoga,’ Now Athens, Pennsylvania”.

In 1931, shortly before Louise Welles Murray’s death, she heard Donald Cadzow speak about his excavations at Safe Harbor. Cadzow encouraged her to apply for a grant to carry out excavations in the area, which she obtained with the goal of having Cadzow direct archaeological excavations in Athens. At the time of Louise Welles Murray’s death, she had recently been elected second vice president for the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.

The Spalding Memorial Library Building which houses the Tioga Point Museum, founded by Louise Welles Murray

Throughout her professional life, Louise Welles Murray exhibited a thirst for knowledge and a desire to share that knowledge with those around her. She strongly advocated for record keeping during archaeological excavations and looked down upon the actions of those who dug sites with no care for recording artifacts or the locations from which they were found.

We hope you have enjoyed this edition of Notable Women in Pennsylvania Archaeology. It is an honor to celebrate the contributions of these pioneers in the field — Frances Dorrance, Mary Butler, Verna Cowin, Catherine McCann and Louise Welles Murray. We hope our readers recognize the significant contributions these women have made in preserving the past. We hope that you’ll be inspired to read some of their publications and learn more about our archaeological heritage in Pennsylvania.

A list of online books by Louise Welles Murray can be found through the library at the University of Pennsylvania.

References:

The Evening Times [Sayre, Pennsylvania]

1931            Obituary for Louise Welles Murray. April 23:3. Sayre, Pennsylvania.

Kent, Barry

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1984            Susquehanna’s Indians. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Harrisburg.

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Murray, Louise Welles

1921            Aboriginal Sites in and Near “Teaoga,” Now Athens Part I, Pennsylvania. American Anthropologist, 23(2):183-214

1921            Aboriginal Sites in and Near “Teaoga,” Now Athens Part II, Pennsylvania. American Anthropologist, 23(3):268-297

Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology

1931            Louise Welles Murray. Bulletin of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology 2(2):1-3

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

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Welcome to Spring: Indigenous Methods of Tracking Time

March 20^th officially heralded in the beginning of spring with the spring equinox, and we have been granted our first glimpses of warmer weather. The equinox is the point at which the earth’s axis tilts neither towards or away from the sun, it is the midpoint between summer and winter and the date when the day and night occupy equal amounts of time. Around the world, cultures have long marked this occasion as the end of winter and a sign that warmer weather is on its way. It is a time for celebration as the scarcity of winter fades into the welcome warmth and abundance of warmer months. The indigenous people who lived in this area before the arrival of Europeans were no different, marking the seasonal round by the movement of the sun, the phases of the moon, the constellations in the night sky and by observing the changes in their environment.

In order to track the movement of the sun, ancient people built structures and utilized natural features which, either through imaging or sighting, tracked the movement of the sun from winter solstice to equinox to summer solstice and back again as the rising sun moves across the horizon from north to south. Sighting calendars use alignments of natural or man-made features to indicate the direction of the rising or setting sun, while imaging calendars create specific shadows or rays of light at certain times of the year. For a people who were far more connected to their environment than we are today, the movement of the sun and the accompanying changes were part of the rhythm of life, dictating when to hunt, gather plants or sow fields. Today we use dates on a calendar, but these ancient solar calendars are, in many cases, functioning just as they have for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

An example of an imaging calendar, a rectilinear area adjacent to this circular motif on Little Indian Rock in the Lower Susquehanna fills with light as the sun crests over another section of the rock on the equinoxes. The light first fills one portion of the box, bisected by a natural crack, before expanding to fill the remainder of the shape. Serpent motifs elsewhere on this rock sight to the rising sun on the equinoxes. (photo by Melanie Mayhew)

With the passing of time, the indigenous cultures of this area celebrated their respective festivals and ceremonies, although often it was not the sun’s position that was used for the timing of these rites. The Iroquois and Delaware relied upon other events such as environmental changes, phases of the moon and constellations present in the night sky to determine the correct time for their ceremonies.

The Delaware, as recorded by Frank Speck, use the position of the stars and the moon to inform them of the proper time to gather medicinal herbs, plant crops in the spring, and the time at which animals breed and fish move up stream. The gathering of materials for basket-making was also tied to the seasons, and in order to produce durable hides, animals must be killed at the right time of year. This determination of activities based on the seasonal round is pervasive and is an integral part of the indigenous lifeway. Star-lore was used to inform tribal members of environmental changes and the proper times for such activities as leaving for or returning from a hunt.

 This watercolor painting by John White titled “A Festival Dance” depicts inhabitants of coastal North Carolina participating in the green corn or harvest ritual and was painted between 1585 and 1593. (Photo: C Trustees of the British Museum)

A feature of Iroquois, Delaware and other indigenous cultures is the naming of each lunar cycle based on environmental changes occurring at that time. The moon names may change by group and location and reflect cultural and regional variation in indigenous culture. The lunar names give a clue as to the activity that occupies the central role for that time of the year.

The names of the moons as described in the book Travels in New France. Moon names varied by region and cultural group.

The cyclical nature of time and observances of the sun’s position have been recorded in the Middle Atlantic in ethnographic records, and to a lesser extent in village patterning and recovered artifacts. Whatever the season, there was always some significance to the time of the year as we travel around the sun and through the seasons, once again arriving at spring.

References:

Snow, Dean

1996     The Iroquois. Blackwell Publishers, Malden.

Speck, Frank G.

1931     A Study of the Delaware Indian Big House Ceremony, Vol II. The Pennsylvania Historical Commission, Harrisburg.

Stevens, Sylvester K. et al (Eds.)

1941     Travels in New France by J.C.B. Pennsylvania Historical Commission, Harrisburg.

          

Sturtevant, William C. (Ed.)

1978       Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 15, Northeast. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. 

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .

The Petroglyphs of Pennsylvania: Rock Art in the Lower Susquehanna River Valley

Did you know that the Lower Susquehanna Valley, approximately 50 miles south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is home to one of the largest concentrations of prehistoric petroglyphs in the Northeastern United States?

Petroglyphs are a form of rock art in which images are pecked or carved into the surface of a rock. In the case of Pennsylvania’s petroglyphs, rocky outcrops along rivers were prime locations where these images were created. Petroglyphs can be found across Pennsylvania and styles vary widely depending upon the area in which they were created. Nearly all the petroglyphs recorded in Pennsylvania (42 sites at time of writing) are associated with rivers. Waterways were, and still are, significant features of the natural landscape that have shaped where people lived and how they traveled since long before the first Europeans settled in this area.

The distribution and various styles of petroglyphs in Pennsylvania.

Image: PHMC Petroglyphs Brochure

The petroglyphs south of Harrisburg, PA (numbers 8 and 9 on the above map) are particularly special due to their location in the center of the nearly mile-wide Susquehanna River. Some groups of petroglyphs in this area, such as those on Walnut Island and nearby Creswell rock were submerged underwater when the Safe Harbor Dam was constructed in the early 1930s. Other sites farther downstream such as Big and Little Indian Rock are accessible only by boat, a feature that has no doubt helped preserve the numerous rock carvings that were made by the prehistoric people who once inhabited this river valley.

It is difficult for us to imagine the vastly different landscape of the Susquehanna River prior to the construction of railroads and hydro-electric dams. The river was at one time filled with rocky outcrops, small islands, and numerous rapids carved by the ancient waters of the Susquehanna, one of the oldest rivers in the world. The riverscape prior to the construction of the Safe Harbor Dam is reflected in photos taken prior to the dam’s construction, as well as by maps made by various surveyors during the 19^th century.

A composite image of the Susquehanna River before and after construction of the Safe Harbor Dam. Walnut Island is in the group of islands on the left side of the upper image.

(top image: Scott’s Map of Lancaster County, Library of Congress; lower image: Google Earth)

In 1930-1931, an expedition led by Donald Cadzow documented four petroglyph sites in the Safe Harbor area where Conestoga Creek flows into the Susquehanna River: Little Indian Rock, Big Indian Rock, Walnut Island (now submerged), and Creswell Rock (now submerged). The team photographed and drew the petroglyphs of Walnut Island and Creswell Rock before ultimately drilling the petroglyphs from the surrounding rock on which they were created and transporting them to the State Museum of Pennsylvania. Four of the petroglyphs from Walnut Island are on permanent display at the State Museum’s Archaeology Gallery in Harrisburg, and another four panels are on display at the Conestoga Area Historical Society Museum in Conestoga, PA. The remainder of the petroglyph panels removed from Walnut Island and Creswell Rock remain in storage at the State Museum of Pennsylvania.

The Petroglyphs on Walnut Island were traced and photographed before being drilled from the surrounding bedrock. The original section of rock with the pecked image is on display at the State Museum of Pennsylvania’s Archaeology Gallery. (Image: PHMC)

Like much of the archaeology performed during the first half of the 20^th century, documentation and collection practices fall short of today’s standards. Although Cadzow and his team recognized the importance of the individual images, other information, such as the exact directional orientation of the glyphs and the shape and nature of surrounding rock formations, was largely neglected. Additionally, some fruits of their efforts, such as creating casts of the petroglyphs, have been discarded in the decades since the work was undertaken. The documentation that exists today falls short of depicting the full stunning beauty of a place that no doubt held special significance to the people who created these images.

Donald Cadzow’s map of petroglyphs on Walnut Island. The image panels depicted on this map are the best evidence researchers have of their original locations on the island. (image: Cadzow 1934, PHMC)

Many of the petroglyphs located on Walnut Island bear little resemblance to the petroglyphs of other rock art sites within the Northeastern United States, and researchers have long pondered their origins. Other sites near Safe Harbor, such as Little Indian Rock and Big Indian Rock are similar in style to petroglyph sites attributed to Algonkian groups which inhabited much of the Northeast and Canada during Woodland and Late Prehistoric times.

While the meaning of petroglyphs is still largely unknown, advances have been made in understanding their significance as places of teaching or for communing with spirits who were believed to inhabit sacred locations associated with rocky outcrops and water. Some believe that the petroglyphs are reflections of the sky above.

One of the abstract groups of petroglyphs on Walnut Island. This rock outcrop provided a view of the river looking towards Lancaster County. (image: PHMC)

Donald Cadzow’s report of his expedition is published as a book under the title Petroglyphs in the Susquehanna River near Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania. It is available for purchase from the PA Heritage book store.

If you visit a petroglyph site, there are steps that you can take to help preserve this fragile and non-renewable resource for future generations. Researchers today have no way of knowing what techniques may be developed in the future that could contribute to the understanding of these ancient writings.

The following guidelines for visiting petroglyph sites are adopted from the National Park Service:

-          Do not touch the petroglyphs, even small amounts of oils from your hands can darken and destroy the carved images

-          Photograph and sketch the images, but avoid taking rubbings which can hasten the deterioration of the petroglyphs. The best time of day for viewing petroglyphs is early morning or evening, when the Sun is low on the horizon.

-          Do not introduce any foreign substance to the rock surface such as paint or chalk, these actions can damage the image.

-          Do not repeck, recarve or deface the images in any way, these actions destroy the original image. Many rock art sites have been destroyed by the addition of historic graffiti.

Petroglyphs in Pennsylvania, videos produced by the PHMC:

Petroglyphs of Pennsylvania Part I - https://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=gWu2MwUMdJI 

Petroglyphs of Pennsylvania Part IIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhuZb1lrOOk

Additional information on petroglyphs is available through our web site:

http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/archaeology/native-american/petroglyphs.html

http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/archaeology/native-american/little-indian-rock.html

Additional Resources:

Diaz-Granados, Carol, and James R. Duncan, eds. The rock-art of eastern North America: Capturing Images and Insight. Vol. 45879. University of Alabama Press, 2004.

Cadzow, Donald A. Petroglyphs Rock Carvings in the Susquehanna River Near Safe Harbor. Pennsylvania... Vol. 3. No. 1. Pennsylvania Historical Commission, 1934.

Lenik, Edward J. Making pictures in stone: American Indian rock art of the Northeast. University of Alabama Press, 2009.

Vastokas, Joan M., and Romas K. Vastokas. Sacred art of the Algonkians: A study of the Peterborough Petroglyphs. Mansard Press, 1973.

Carr, Kurt W. and Nevin, Paul A., Advanced Technology Rubs Ancient Past. Pennsylvania Heritage, Vol. XXXIV, No. 4, Fall 2008 (http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/pa-heritage/advanced-technology-rubs-ancient-past.html)

For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .