Squirrel Hill Village Site

Location: New Florence, PA 15944, USA

Season: May 16, 2022 to June 24, 2022

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: https://www.iup.edu/anthropology/research/excavations-at-the-late-monongahela-squirrel-hill-site.html

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
This project is an RPA certified field school

Affiliation:
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Department of Anthropology

Project Director:
Lara Homsey-Messer and William Chadwick

Project Description:

IUP is offering ANTH 320/520 (6 cr.) and ANTH 740 (4 cr.) at the National Register listed site of Squirrel Hill, a Late Precontact Monongahela village located on the Conemaugh River near New Florence, PA. Many questions remain to be answered about this site. This summer we will focus on identifying potentially older occupations, determining how large the site is, searching for the central plaza and/or site stockade; and ground-truthing a large rectangular feature that is atypical of known Monongahela villages. Students will learn and gain experience in feature and test unit excavation, shovel testing and compass work, ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey, bucket auguring to evaluate buried surfaces and landscapes, and basic laboratory analysis.

Period(s) of Occupation: Johnston Phase Monongahela (ca. 1450-1590)

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Experience Required: none

Room and Board Arrangements:
Housing available through the IUP Office of Housing & Residence Life or can be obtained individually. Transportation provided to site daily from IUP (McElhaney Hall).

Academic Credit:
4-6 credits at current IUP tuition rate: https://www.iup.edu/student-billing/tuitionfees/undergraduate.html