Bedford Village Archeological Site

40 042 - 78.510666666667Koordinaten: 40 ° 2 ' 31 " N, 78 ° 30' 38 " W

Bedford Village Archeological Site ( Site also 36BD90 ) is an archaeological site in the center of Bedford counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. It lies north of Bedford in Bedford Township and was once a village of the Monongahela culture. Today is at this point the Old Bedford Village, an outdoor museum. 2

Description

The Monongahela settlement, which once stood at this point, consisted of round houses, which were surrounded by a palisade, 4 normal for such settlements. The village was built on top of a terrace on the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River above the marshy areas in the floodplain of the river. 2 This situation is not typical of the Monongahela, as this is usually based in high-altitude capable to defend themselves better. The villagers built their houses similar to those in other settlements. From a house in the village, the diameter is known, which amounted to about seven meters, as in most other Monongahela settlements. Based on archaeological findings, it is believed that the village was inhabited only a short period of time, probably two generations, sometime 1250-1600. 4

After the arrival of European settlers in the area of ​​hardwood forest was cleared and farmed for many years. Agriculture was the mid-1970s set as the Bedford County Redevelopment Authority received federal funding to build on the site of an open air museum. This was set up in 1975 and 1976. 2

Excavations

Before the creation of the museum the place locals was known as locality of artifacts, but only after the establishment of the museum was recognized the archaeological potential of the site. Trial excavations in the northern area of the site rendered in 1977 evidence for the existence of a Monongahela village and a use before the Monongahela culture, which dates back to the late Archaic period. 2 In the summer months in 1979 and 1980, the Pennsylvania State University further led, comprehensive excavations at various points of the museum through, with palisade trenches were discovered that surrounded most of the village. 3

The archaeological site was strongly affected by the construction activity in connection with the construction of the museum village as the buildings and power lines on the previous settlement arose and a dirt road now leads through the grounds. The use of heavy machinery could have buried Køkkenmøddinger on the edge of the settlement terrace. Three quarters of the archaeological site remained unaffected by the construction, and it is not expected that other areas of the site are affected by the open-air museum. 3

Importance

The Bedford Village Archeological Site illustrates an unusual mixture of different phases in the settlement of the region by the Native Americans. It is considered possible that this village, which is one of the -most settlements in the east of the Monongahela culture, represents the transition between the Monongahela culture and other peoples in central Pennsylvania. The location of the settlement itself was taken as evidence of climate change in North America. According to a 1500 colder nascent climate have prompted the Monongahela to leave their houses situated on the mountain tops and seek out the warmer river valleys. 5

The issues raised regarding the influence of other cultures are particularly significant because artifacts were also found at the Shenks Ferry Site in Lancaster County in eastern Pennsylvania. Although this evidence is only minimally: 5 However, it points to a short-term settlement of the Shenks Ferry Site by the presence of the Monongahela culture, as found at the local archaeological site kitchen waste on a scale of the Monongahela culture Palisade. 4

By their size and degree of preservation, the archaeological site in Bedford in 1984, entered in the National Register of Historic Places.