Bedford Village Archeological Site
Encyclopedia
The Bedford Village Archeological Site (also known as "Site 36BD90") is an archaeological site
in central Bedford County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Located in Bedford Township north of the borough
of Bedford
, it was once occupied by a Monongahela
village. Today, the site is the location of Old Bedford Village, an open air museum
.
, an arrangement common in such villages. It was built at the highest point of a terrace along the Raystown Branch
of the Juniata River
, above the marshy areas of the river's floodplain. This location is atypical for the Monongahela, who typically settled in upland areas for defensive purposes. The villagers' houses were similar to those in other settlements; one house in the village is known to have been of a diameter of 7 metres (23 ft), like those in many other Monongahela villages. Based on archaeological evidence, it is believed that the site was occupied for a short period of time — perhaps two generations — at some point between the years 1250 and 1600.
at the site. The resulting attraction, known as Old Bedford Village, was built in 1975 and 1976.
, but no wider attention was paid to the site's archaeological potential until after the museum was established. Testing at the northern portion of the site in 1977 revealed evidence of a Monongahela village and of pre-Monongahela occupation dating back to the Late Archaic period. In the summers of 1979 and 1980, Pennsylvania State University
conducted much more extensive excavations at different locations in Old Bedford Village, revealing stockade trenches around much of the site.
It is believed that the site was extensively impacted by the construction of Old Bedford Village: buildings and utility lines were erected atop much of the site, and a gravel road now runs across the area. Moreover, the heavy machinery used in construction may have buried midden
s on the edge of the village's terrace. However, approximately three-fourths of the site remained undamaged after construction, and it is unlikely that any more areas will be affected by the museum.
Questions of influence from other cultures are especially significant because artifacts have also been found at the site of the Shenks Ferry culture of eastern Pennsylvania. While such evidence is minimal, it suggests a short-term Shenks Ferry occupation at a date later than that of the Monongahela; among the remains of the Shenks Ferry occupation is a large midden located on top of the Monongahela stockade.
The wide range of artifacts and the high degree of preservation at the Bedford Village site led to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
in central Bedford County
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,762. The county seat is Bedford. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in Bedford Township north of the borough
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
of Bedford
Bedford, Pennsylvania
Bedford is a borough in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, west of the State Capital, Harrisburg. It is the county seat of Bedford County. Bedford was established in the mid-18th century. Population counts follow: 1890, 2,242; 1900, 2,167; 1910, 2,385. The population was 3,141 at the 2000...
, it was once occupied by a Monongahela
Monongahela tribe
The Monongahela culture were a Native American cultural manifestation of Late Woodland peoples in present-day western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and West Virginia from AD 1050 to 1635...
village. Today, the site is the location of Old Bedford Village, an open air museum
Open air museum
An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...
.
Profile
The Monongahela village once located at the site was composed of circular houses surrounded by a stockadeStockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
, an arrangement common in such villages. It was built at the highest point of a terrace along the Raystown Branch
Raystown Branch Juniata River
The Raystown Branch Juniata River is the largest and longest tributary of the Juniata River in south-central Pennsylvania in the United States....
of the Juniata River
Juniata River
The Juniata River is a tributary of the Susquehanna River, approximately long, in central Pennsylvania in the United States. The river is considered scenic along much of its route, having a broad and shallow course passing through several mountain ridges and steeply-lined water gaps...
, above the marshy areas of the river's floodplain. This location is atypical for the Monongahela, who typically settled in upland areas for defensive purposes. The villagers' houses were similar to those in other settlements; one house in the village is known to have been of a diameter of 7 metres (23 ft), like those in many other Monongahela villages. Based on archaeological evidence, it is believed that the site was occupied for a short period of time — perhaps two generations — at some point between the years 1250 and 1600.
Historical period
After European settlement of the area, the hardwood forest at the site was cleared and the area was farmed for many years. Agriculture ended at the site in the mid-1970s, when the Bedford County Redevelopment Authority received a federal grant to construct a living history museumOpen air museum
An open-air museum is a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out-of-doors. The first open-air museums were established in Scandinavia towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe and North America. Open-air museums are variously known as...
at the site. The resulting attraction, known as Old Bedford Village, was built in 1975 and 1976.
Excavation
Before the creation of Old Bedford Village, the site was locally known as a source of artifactsArtifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
, but no wider attention was paid to the site's archaeological potential until after the museum was established. Testing at the northern portion of the site in 1977 revealed evidence of a Monongahela village and of pre-Monongahela occupation dating back to the Late Archaic period. In the summers of 1979 and 1980, Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
conducted much more extensive excavations at different locations in Old Bedford Village, revealing stockade trenches around much of the site.
It is believed that the site was extensively impacted by the construction of Old Bedford Village: buildings and utility lines were erected atop much of the site, and a gravel road now runs across the area. Moreover, the heavy machinery used in construction may have buried midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s on the edge of the village's terrace. However, approximately three-fourths of the site remained undamaged after construction, and it is unlikely that any more areas will be affected by the museum.
Significance
The Bedford Village Site represents an unusual mix of phases in Native American history in the region. As one of the most eastern Monongahela sites ever discovered, it represents the possibility of transition between the Monongahela and other peoples of central Pennsylvania. Moreover, the site's location in a floodplain has been cited as evidence for climate change in North America: it has been proposed that cooling weather around the year 1500 caused the Monongahela to abandoned their hilltop homes in favor of warmer weather in river valleys.Questions of influence from other cultures are especially significant because artifacts have also been found at the site of the Shenks Ferry culture of eastern Pennsylvania. While such evidence is minimal, it suggests a short-term Shenks Ferry occupation at a date later than that of the Monongahela; among the remains of the Shenks Ferry occupation is a large midden located on top of the Monongahela stockade.
The wide range of artifacts and the high degree of preservation at the Bedford Village site led to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1984.
See also
- List of Native American archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Further reading
- Hatch, James W. "An Archaeological Assessment of Construction Impacts at Old Bedford Village, Bedford County, Pennsylvania. HarrisburgHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
: William Penn Memorial Museum, 1979.