Indian artifacts recovered along I-70 at Bentleville
BENTLEYVILLE – Archaeologists have unearthed ancient Indian artifacts along Interstate 70 in order to begin reconstructing the highway in the Bentleyville area.
The recovered items, which have yet to be fully identified and tested for their age, have been turned over to a consultant as the state Department of Transportation furthers plans for the $70 million construction project, PennDOT spokeswoman Valerie Petersen said Thursday.
“We recovered a number of resources related to precontact lifeways within the region, including artifacts, recordation of activities still evident in the soil and recovery of soil samples,” said PennDOT archaeologist Ryan A. Rowles.
The dig was conducted under an agreement with the state Historical and Museum Commission, which also asked PennDOT to conduct radar tests to look for unmarked Newkirk Cemetery graves, some of which were believed to have been covered in pavement when I-70 was constructed six decades ago.
Preconstruction surveys found a “layer cake” of evidence of American Indian occupation in different time periods as far back as 10,000 years ago near I-70’s interchange at Route 917 in Somerset Township.
The reconstruction project is expected to begin next month on widening I-70, reducing the number of ramps at Route 917 to two and making safety improvements to the Bentleyville interchange where a roundabout will be built on Wilson Road.
“And to confirm, no, this will not cause any delays in the construction of the Bentleyville interchange project,” Rowles said. “The archaeologists no longer need to be present in the field as all excavation is now complete.”
The remains of plant life recovered from the dig will be analyzed to determine what the Indians ate when they occupied the site. That work will begin in several months, he said
No comments:
Post a Comment