Tag: Pennsylvania

Philly Archaeologists’ Map Hopes to Warn Developers Away From Unmarked Cemeteries

Just one example of the many historic graves uncovered in Philadelphia. Source: phillyarchaeology.net

Nonexistent or weakly enforced laws in Philadelphia have led to historic graves being destroyed by construction. Hastily organized rescue excavations have salvaged some of these human remains, but others have been destroyed, or are threatened by future development projects. In an attempt to reduce the damage to historic cemeteries, archaeologists in the city have produced an interactive map showing where unmarked gravesites and burial yards were located. They caution, however, that the map does not show all historic burial locations, and that even if a historic cemetery is documented to have been relocated at some time in the past, many human remains are likely still present in the original location. Read more about the issues that led to the creation of this map at the Philadelphia Archaeological Forum.

Blast Furnaces at Scranton, Pennsylvania

The stone blast furnaces in a park just outside of downtown Scranton are an imposing reminder of this Pennsylvania city’s early industrial history.  George and Selden Scranton had owned an iron furnace in northern New Jersey before moving to Pennsylvania. In 1840, they and their partners built an iron furnace in Slocum Hollow on the Roaring Brook. Their enterprise, later renamed the Lackawanna Iron and Steel Company,  grew to become one of the largest producers of iron in the United States. At the turn of the twentieth century, however, the company moved its operations to New York. The mills and other buildings were demolished, leaving only the four blast furnaces behind.

Scranton Iron Furnaces

Scranton Iron Furnaces

Scranton Iron Furnaces

 

 

Zooarchaeology in Pennsylvania

This 2015 post on This Week in Pennsylvania Archaeology is about zooarchaeology and includes new photos of animal bones and cut marks from the famous Eschelman Site in Lancaster County, which was the subject of one of the earliest systematic analyses of bone modification marks on an American faunal assemblage.

Reference:

Guilday, John E., Paul W. Parmalee and Donald P. Tanner

1962       Aboriginal Butchering Techniques at the Eschelman Site (36LA12), Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Archaeologist 32(2):59-83.

Swedish Colonial Foodways

Beef, Beer and Bread: Colonial Foodways
The annual New Sweden History Conference, held at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia, will focus on food this year. From the website:
Five speakers will discuss various aspects of culinary history—from the kitchens of Stockholm to the brew houses of Philadelphia. The keynote speaker is author, chef, and Swedish food historian Dr. Ulrica Söderlind. Dr. Söderlind holds a PhD from the University of Stockholm. She has written five books on topics such as, the role of food in Swedish social history, and the culinary history of the Nobel Banquet. Her conference session will focus on the cooking practices of a 17th century Swedish noble household. Additional speakers include David Furlow, who will be discussing the significance of cattle as an important part of New Sweden’s economy; Rich Wagner will lead an engaging discussion on the intricacies of colonial beer brewing. In the spirit of this year’s theme, a special lunch will be served featuring colonial recipes and, of course, beer.
The conference is Saturday, November 8, 2014. Registration is $45 and includes breakfast and lunch. For more information: www.americanswedish.org