4 days ago
Archeologists uncover Midstate history
(WHTM) — There's plenty of history in the Midstate and a group of local advocational archeologists are working to uncover more.
The Lower Susquehanna Archeological Society group has spent the last two weeks in Lancaster County digging and sifting through the dirt at the Blue Rock Heritage Center.
'We are wrapping up our spring excavation season,' said Paul Nevin, the groups President. 'We've been trying to establish the footprint of a farmhouse that was built in the mid-1800s and was demolished in the 1950s.'
Nevin told abc27 News they are trying to help tell the story of the land.
'People have been on this land for thousands of years along the Susquehanna,' he said. 'And so, we find everything from an eight-thousand-year-old projectile point to, you know, sunglasses.'
Rick Fisher, the archeological groups Vice President sifted through pounds of dirt Sunday.
'See if we could find any artifacts in native American plumbing or pottery,' Fisher explained. 'I get excited about, but I actually like to find the whole piece. But unfortunately, you know, it breaks like anybody breaks or drops dishes. Then it breaks and then they toss it out, you know? So, we know it's very rare that you'll find a full piece.'
The archeological group believes they did find the foundation of the old farmhouse.
'We ran into a little bit of a surprise because we're trying to find a farmhouse that was oriented parallel to the river and the foundation that we found is turned a little bit to the side,' Nevin said. 'So right now, we're at the point where we're wondering whether this actually was an earlier structure, that the house was built over top of.'
Nevin said people get involved in archeology because they are interested in history.
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'Theres always the element that you're going to find some sort of treasure of some sort,' he said. 'And for us, really, the treasure that we find are just things that people leave behind.'
Phase two of this project will begin in the summer and last possibly through the winter.
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