Archaeology in the time of Quarantine — A Virtual Tour of Pennsylvania

While our current outreach is limited by social distancing and travel bans, this week’s blog will focus on ways to explore the diverse and rich archaeological resources of Pennsylvania from the comfort and safety of home.

Petroglyph tour of Pennsylvania. Image: PHMC Petroglyphs Brochure

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), like many other public and private entities, has turned the negative of COVID-19 related museum and site closures into a positive opportunity to re-double efforts on long-term virtual access initiatives. The Commission as a whole has greatly increased available online exhibits, archives, and collections by adding new records and interactive web-based tools as part of our greater telework mission. We strongly recommend checking out our new and improved offerings, but we also want to share a handful of additional online resources produced by a variety of academic, professional, local non-profit, state and federal institutions. 

To begin our virtual tour of PA’s archaeological resources, we’d like to highlight the recent soft launch of an online Argus object search engine for The State Museum and Trail of History Sites and Museums. The Section of Archaeology has added new artifacts every week to this database during the office closure. To quickly access archaeological objects in the Search Collection tab, use the wild card symbol (*) with the keyword search term (*Archaeology*) or (*Archeology*). We further recommend taking a brief side trip on the Pennsylvania Trailheads blog of the Bureau of Sites and Museums. This week’s post has more information about the PHMC’s new collection search tool. 

Archaeology Object Search Example, Sandstone Petroglyph, Schuylkill County, PA

In addition to the Section of Archaeology’s bi-weekly blog, This Week in Pennsylvania Archaeology, and Sites and Museums, Pennsylvania Trailheads,  the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) also posts updates on a regular basis in their equivalent forum, Pennsylvania Historic Preservation. Again, using the search term “Archaeology” or “Archeology” you can read more about on-going archaeological projects throughout the state. Here’s a link to an archived blog about Shawnee-Minisink, a National Registered Paleoindian and Archaic Period site in the Upper Delaware Valley moving your virtual travel to the northeast.

Following the Delaware River downstream, Philadelphia is a treasure trove of history and archaeological resources. We recommend a visit to the Philadelphia Archaeology Forum, a one stop shop of information, and the Digging I95 interactive website administered by AECOM in collaboration with the US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDot).  Expanding the exploration beyond the confines of Pennsylvania you can also visit the Penn Museum at the University of Pennsylvania. Their Daily Dig series features a new artifact from their world-wide collections every day during the coronavirus shut down. A virtual visit to Philadelphia would not be complete without a stop at Independence National Park, Preservation-Archaeology. 

Next, take a virtual tour of Pre-Contact archaeological heritage districts through a PHMC Historic Marker Search. Select a county and search category “Native American” to discover prehistoric and Contact Period local cultural resources. We would recommend heading west from Philadelphia to Lancaster County in southcentral, PA.  Pick a marker and enter the provided GIS coordinates in google earth to get a birds-eye or street-view of locations marking the former village sites of the Susquehannock and other Native American groups that lived along the Susquehanna River.

PHMC Historical Marker Search Example

You can continue your virtual journey through the Susquehannock Native Landscape at The Zimmerman Center for Heritage.  Part of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, this National Park Service (NPS) cultural center serves as the Trailhead of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, another resource worth exploring. Video content on the site allows you to fly over the Susquehanna River from Columbia Crossing to the Zimmerman Center. 

Then check out other local history venues with archaeological collections using the museums’ listing links on the archived PHMC Pennsylvania Archaeology website. 

PHMC Pennsylvania Archaeology  

Not listed in the PHMC guide is the new home of the Westmoreland Historical Society, Historic Hanna’s Town. This site takes our tour west of the Allegheny Mountains to a frontier town, established in 1773 by the British colonial government. Hanna’s Town played an important role in the American Revolution and was burned down by a Seneca raiding party in 1786 towards the end of the conflict. It’s reclamation from early Republican county seat to farmland in the early 19^th century encapsulated in the archaeological record a turbulent time in our country’s history.

To read more about recent archaeology conducted at the Hanna’s Town, follow Ashley McCuistion’s blog, Digging Anthropology, tales from the sandbox. This is an archived website dedicated to her Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) graduate student investigations at the DuPont Powder Mill site, Fayette County, PA; field schools at Hanna’s Town, Pennsylvania and Ferry Farm, Virginia; and undergraduate work with the Virtual Curation Laboratory (VCL) at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

Dr. Bernard Means 3-D scanning turtle carapace, Image: The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Section of Archaeology Collections. 

Incidentally, VCL’s director, Bernard Means, has worked extensively with archaeological collections held at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, primarily from Monongahela Village sites in Somerset County. His research has been featured in our past blogs about Somerset County and Sharing and Preserving the Archaeological Record. IUP also has a dedicated archaeology blog that is regularly updated, Trowels and Tribulations, that is worth a view.

Continuing in Southwestern Pennsylvania, you can visit the earliest documented archaeological site in North America, Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Avella, Washington County. The park and several other museums in the greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area are administered by the Senator John Heinz History Center. The History Center’s online offerings are outstanding and include many interactive ways to explore its exhibit and site holdings. 

The Fort Pit Museum in downtown Pittsburgh, part of the PHMC Trail of Military History, is also administered by the Heinz History Center. The site has a long history of archaeological conservation and investigation through the efforts of The Fort Pitt Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Visit the Fort Pitt Block House website for more information about past excavations and additional interactive resources. 

 Heading north to Lake Erie, you can dip your toes into Marine Archaeology through the Pennsylvania Archeology Shipwreck and Survey (PASST). Then dry off and head back east for stops along the northern tier to search the collections at the Thomas T. Taber Museum in Williamsport, Lycoming County, and the Tioga Point Museum in Athens, Bradford County.

Here are a few resources to help you turn this tour into a virtual family vacation. The National Park Service (NPS), Educator Resources, and the Society for American Archaeology (SAA), Teaching Archaeology, websites have a number of options for those of us struggling to find creative ways to engage our school-aged kids during stay-at-home orders. Heading back southwest to Cambria County, the NPS has Kindergarten through Sixth grade lesson plans for the Johnstown Flood National Memorial. Or you can travel back in time across central Pennsylvania on the historic Allegheny Portage Railroad which connected the Midwest to the eastern seaboard between 1834 and 1854.

Finally, you can round out your experience at a virtual excavation with the Archaeological Institute of America and Archaeology magazine’s interactive digs. None of the available excavations are located in Pennsylvania, but it’s worth mentioning as a fun way to cap off our tour. 

Most of us are itching to get on the road and have a change of scenery after two months of quarantine. The global pandemic has given us all opportunity to reflect on what we value and how an understanding of our past can help us better plan for the future. It is still safest to stay home and follow recommendations of Governor Wolf and the CDC. A few PHMC sites are moving from red to yellow phase restrictions in the northwest and northcentral health districts at the end of this week. Drake Well Museum and the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum are in the planning stages of re-opening their grounds, but not their facilities, to visitors soon. Please continue to visit online resources and call ahead for up-to-date COVID-19 health and safety restrictions as part of any travel plan in the near future. In the meantime, we hope you are able to fulfill some of your curiosity and wanderlust with a few of our recommendations for travel down a virtual archaeological rabbit hole or two. 

Online Resources

AECOM

2014      Home Page, Digging I95. November 14, 2014. https://diggingi95.com/.

              

Archaeological Institute of America and ARCHAEOLOGY magazine

2019      Interactive Digs. https://www.interactivedigs.com/

Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums (PHMC)

2020      Curating from Home, Pennsylvania Trails of History Trailheads. Blog Post, May 8, 2020.

https://patrailheads.blogspot.com/2020/05/curating-from-home.html

Bureau of The State Museum of Pennsylvania (PHMC)

2017      Home Page, http://statemuseumpa.org/.

Bureau of The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Section of Archaeology (PHMC)

2013      Somerset County, This Week in Pennsylvania Archaeology. Blog Post, August 16, 2013.

2018      Sharing and Preserving the Archaeological Record, This Week in Pennsylvania Archaeology. Blog Post, August 13, 2018.

https://twipa.blogspot.com/search?q=Virtual+Curation+Laboratory

Fort Pitt Society

2020      Fort Pitt Block House, Archaeology. http://www.fortpittblockhouse.com/archeology/

Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Archaeology

2020      Trowels and Tribulations: IUP’s Archaeology Blog. http://iblog.iup.edu/trowelsandtribulations/

McCuistion, Ashley

2016      Digging Anthropology, Tales from the Sandbox. Blog, last post January 22, 2016. See Hanna’s Town. https://diganthro.wordpress.com/; https://diganthro.wordpress.com/hannas-town/

National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Educator Resources, Pennsylvania, Archaeology, https://www.nps.gov/teachers/teacher-resources.htm?#sort=score+desc&q=Pennsylvania,+Archaeology

2016      Independence National Historical Park, Pennsylvania. Archaeology at Independence. September 6, 2016. Learn About Park, History & Culture, Preservation, Archaeology. https://www.nps.gov/inde/learn/historyculture/preservation-archeology.htm

2019      Captain Johns Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, VA, MD, De, DC, PA, NY. March 12, 2019. https://www.nps.gov/cajo/index.htm

Penn Museum

2019      Events, Adult Programs, The Daily Dig. https://www.penn.museum/events/adult-programs/the-daily-dig?utm_source=collections&utm_medium=webpage&utm_campaign=homepage

Pennsylvania Department of Health

2020      Health, All Health Topics, Disease & Conditions, Coronavirus. https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission,

2015      Pennsylvania Archaeology, Resources, Museums and Tours. September 10, 2015. http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/archaeology/resources/museums-tours.html

               Petroglyphs Brochure, pdf.  http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/archaeology/files/petroglyphs.pdf

2020      Home Page, https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx

               Marker Search, http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/apps/historical-markers.html

Trails of History, https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Museums/Pages/default.aspx

Military Trail of History, https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Museums/Military-History/Pages/default.aspx

Museum Collection, Search Collection, Archaeology, https://5074.sydneyplus.com/Public/PHMC_ArgusNET/Portal.aspx?lang=en-US&d=d

Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PHMC)

2020      Pennsylvania Historic Preservation, Blog Homepage. https://pahistoricpreservation.com/

2014      Spotlight Series: The Shawnee-Minisink Archaeological Site. Pennsylvania Historic Preservation.      Blog Post, March 12, 2014. https://pahistoricpreservation.com/shawnee-minisink/

Philadelphia Archaeology Forum

2020      Home Page, https://www.phillyarchaeology.net/

Sea Grant Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania State University

2016      The Pennsylvania Archeology Shipwreck and Survey Team (PASST). https://seagrant.psu.edu/topics/projects/pennsylvania-archeology-shipwreck-and-survey-team-passt

Senator John Heinz History Center

2019      Exhibits, Meadowcroft Rockshelter. https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/exhibits/meadowcroft-rockshelter

               Fort Pitt Museum, https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/fort-pitt/

Society for American Archaeology

2020      Education and Outreach, K-12 Activities & Resources. https://www.saa.org/education-outreach/teaching-archaeology/k-12-activities-resources

Susquehanna National Heritage Area

2020      River History, Susquehannock Native Landscapes. https://www.susquehannaheritage.org/discover-river-history/susquehannock-native-landscape/

Thomas T. Taber Museum

2020      Explore the Museum, American Indian Gallery. https://tabermuseum.org/explore-museum/american-indian-gallery

Tioga Point Museum

2019      Collections. https://www.tiogapointmuseum.org/collections

              

Virtual Curation Laboratory, Virginia Commonwealth University

2015      Discoidal from Peck 2. Virtual Curation Museum. Blog Post September 18, 2015. https://virtualcurationmuseum.wordpress.com/

Westmoreland Historical Society

2018      Home Page, Historic Hanna’s Town, https://westmorelandhistory.org/hannas-town

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

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 .

Journey to the Petroglyphs: Rock Art in Pennsylvania’s Lower Susquehanna River Valley

A previous blog identified the Lower Susquehanna River as containing one of the largest concentrations of prehistoric petroglyphs, or rock carvings, in the Northeast. Out of the multitude of these sites which were once accessible in the area, only a small handful remain intact. Although several publications discuss the images found on these petroglyphs, fewer accounts convey the beauty and natural wonder of their surroundings.

The golden hour on the Susquehanna. In the background, you can see people standing on Little Indian Rock, the most well-known of the petroglyph sites in the Lower Susquehanna.

 Despite the looming presence of Safe Harbor Dam and the alarms which signal dam releases at frequent intervals, the water just down river remains relatively calm. It is important to remember that the river landscape of today is drastically different from what existed before the construction of several hydroelectric dams along the river. This section of the Susquehanna was once described by Donald Cadzow as having numerous rapids only navigable by canoe, quite a difference from the glassy waters that are found here today. From the confluence of the Conestoga and Susquehanna Rivers, a paddler can make their way past numerous rocky outcrops (some containing petroglyphs) and islands blanketed with thick vegetation. It’s not difficult to imagine why this was a place of significance to the prehistoric people who visited and lived here for thousands of years. Wildlife, resources, and natural beauty abound.

The petroglyph sites in this area of the Susquehanna were first documented in 1863 by professor T. C. Porter of the Linnaean Society of Lancaster County. Since then there has been periodic interest in the sites, which for many years were thought to have been lost behind Safe Harbor Dam. Unlike the abstract glyphs documented on Walnut Island, now submerged behind Safe Harbor Dam, those found on Little Indian Rock are more naturalistic and represent identifiable animals such as birds, humans, snakes, and quadrupeds.

A composite photograph showing numerous glyphs on the northern face of Little Indian Rock at sunrise.

 At first glance, it is apparent that Little Indian Rock has numerous carvings on its surface, but it isn’t until closely examining the site under optimal light that the sheer number of glyphs on this rock become apparent. No doubt that an immense amount of time was spent creating them. Although no definitive age has been established for the creation of these sites, they are thought to have been made no more recently than around 500 years ago but are possibly much older. It is agreed upon that they are of Algonkian origin as they bear similarities to other petroglyph sites and motifs of the expansive culture group that once inhabited this area.

Big Indian Rock at sunrise.

The other prominent petroglyph site in the Lower Susquehanna, Big Indian Rock, exists just downstream of Little Indian Rock. This location contains numerous, but less distinct glyphs and more widely spaced images than Little Indian Rock. Many of the glyphs on Big Indian Rock are nearly impossible to see without ideal lighting. This site is unique, not only for the motifs which adorn it, but also for its prominence in the river. It is the tallest and largest of the rocky outcrops in this section of the Susquehanna. From atop Big Indian Rock, individuals experience a breathtaking vista that stretches for miles.

The modification of these petroglyph sites extends beyond their most prominent petroglyph panels. Understandably, maps have failed to capture the full scope of the ways in which humans have modified these sites. The preservation of these sites has largely been attributed to their remote location in the three-quarters of a mile-wide Susquehanna River. As with any significant historic or prehistoric site, vandalism is always a concern. When visiting petroglyph sites care should be taken to avoid impact. With proper respect and conservation, these awe-inspiring sites will exist long into the future.

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.

Thank you for visiting our blog, we encourage everyone to learn about the archaeological resources in your community. We ask you to join us in ensuring that our archaeological heritage is preserved by supporting public programs and preservation laws so that we can protect the past for future generations. 

Additional Resources:

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

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)

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.

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.

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 .

Promoting Archaeology at the 2017 Farm Show

The staff of the Section of Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania just completed a very busy week at the 2017 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Our theme for this year’s exhibit was Pennsylvania Petroglyphs – a rare glimpse into the minds of ancient Native Americans.  

 The exhibit represents a major investment of staff and volunteers, but there is no question that our presentation makes a difference in Pennsylvania archaeology. We continued to see excitement in the eyes of children and adults as they sat in the dugout or as they stood gazing at the banner illustrating the Little Indian Rock petroglyphs or rubbing their hands over the resin cast of the Parkers Landing Water Panther petroglyph. 

 The dugout is still the place to take the annual family picture and thousands were taken. We spoke to over 30,000 visitors and distributed over 13,500 archaeology brochures and over 3600 temporary tattoos, free planetarium passes and magazines, including 750 copies of American Archaeology magazine, 1100 Archaeology Month posters and 670 back issues of Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine. These were especially important in promoting the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the State Museum, and the Heritage Foundation. In addition, the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, Inc (SPA) had a table for distributing information on archaeology and accepting new memberships.

Our principal goal at the Farm Show is to always share highlights of Pennsylvania archaeology with the citizens of the Commonwealth and encourage visitation to the State Museum where the learning experience continues about Pennsylvania’s archaeological past. We also strive to promote the preservation of archaeological sites in our state so that future generations can benefit from these valuable resources. The high volume of attendance is a testimony to the quality of the exhibit, the initiative of our volunteers in engaging the public and the public’s interest in archaeology. 

Pennsylvania has an outstanding wealth of archaeological resources that we believe can enhance the lives of all citizens.  Our exhibit on the petroglyphs and the information that was disseminated is another step in communicating this heritage to the citizens of our Commonwealth.  This year, visitors were fascinated with the mystery and meaning of the petroglyphs.  As you know, the archaeological resources of Pennsylvania are being destroyed at an ever-increasing pace. We need help in slowing this destruction and the Farm Show exhibit is a significant vehicle for the dissemination of information and for increasing public awareness to the threats to archaeological resources. 

Our exhibit was well received and we are beginning to plan next year’s theme and reflect on how we can improve the presentation. For example, we are considering an exhibit featuring a Susquehannock longhouse. The theme has been suggested several times in the past and it would coincide with planned upgrades in our Indian village gallery - we are open to suggestions. 

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