Act 70 Projects - Status Update

PAC has not received monthly updates since March of 1999. However, the Commonwealth Archaeology Program's Progress Report for July 1997 to December 1999 is available on-line.

The following report, updated 3/12/99, is provided by the Pennsylvania Bureau for Historic Preservation. The report describes the status of archaeological sites involving state permits and subject to treatment under Pennsylvania Act 70. In the period between 2/12/99 and 3/12/99 the BHP reviewed 76 initial permit requests.

Check the List By County or List by Priority for details on specific projects.

Priority	Number of Projects	Number of Sites	Number of Sites Visited	Time not Expired	Time Extended	Extension Pending
Pending-1	6	34	5	0	4	0
Pending-2	3	6	1	3	3	0
Pending-3	1	1	0	1	1	0
Pending-4	3	3	2	1	2	0
Resolved	103	168	87
Progress	8	24	24
Destroyed	20	24	3
Finished	8	23	23
Total	155	283	145	5	10	0

March Notes:

Our regional archaeologists have finished the analysis of artifacts recovered from the field investigations at the River Crest project in Montgomery County. This is a multicomponent site with a major Transitional Period component (circa 1500 BC) and extensive evidence for argillite stone tool production/quarry related activities. A field visit is planned between the archaeologists and a geologist to identify the location of the argillite quarry in the upcoming months.

The analysis of the Wagers Farmstead is in progress and on schedule. the consultant is preparing to start the background research of the property and family history in Montgomery County. This report provides an opportunity to compare and contrast rural 18th century foodways with those of an urban setting, such as in Philadelpia, where similar analyses have been performed.

The CAP crew has successfully resolved another outstanding project. The Alliance Sand and Gravel Operation was preparing to mine two prehistoric lithic sites in Carbon County, near Palmerton. The quarries are quite extensive in area and produce a distinctive white and black chert. This chert has been recovered from archaeological sites throughout eastern Pennsylvania and can be associated with many time periods. Contrary to most chert procurement techniques, below ground mining for chert is very rare. The company's avoidance of these sites is a very positive step.

The lists by county and priority detail the 155 projects, defining the sites that are threatened, the current status of the investigations, and specifying a priority ranking from 1 to 4 for each project. These priorities are defined for sites that have the following conditions:

• Highest Priority. Confirmed presence of stratified cultural deposits,features, Late Woodland villages, or human remains;
• Priority 2. Confirmed high densities of artifacts on floodplain sites with probable presence of stratified deposits or features or upland sites in settings that typically contain Late Woodland villages;
• Priority 3. Confirmed high densities of artifacts on upland sites;
• Priority 4. Probable high densities or features on sites that are in topographic settings that typically contain significant sites.
• Resolved. The project effects have been avoided or mitigated. Sites being mitigated by other entities also receive this ranking, since they are not of concern to our field crew.
• Projects in Progress. Either the CAP crew or our consultants have begun work on the sites.
• Destroyed. Time expired and further access denied or sites confirmed as destroyed.
• Finished. These projects have been investigated and a report has been submitted to our office.

The summary table above lists the number of projects of each priority rank, the number of sites affected, and the current status of the time limits for the project.