United States. Work Projects Administration (Pa.) Reports, 1918-1948

Mss.913.748.Un3

Date: 1918-1948 | Size: 2 Linear feet, 38 items.

Abstract

These are site reports on archaeological excavations in northern and western Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Most of the excavations were sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical Commission (1929-1948). The reports include photographs, maps, and diagrams.

Scope and content

A series of manuscripts, reports, maps, and photographs on Pennsylvania archeology from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission files. Many of these reports are records of Works Progress Administration Archeological Projects in Pennsylvania, but more than half represent activities of the State Commission. Primarily excavations of Native American burial mounds in northern and western Pennsylvania, with some upstate New York sites. 38 items, plus Edmund S. Carpenter's summary of data on Pennsylvania tumuli entitled "The ancient mounds of Pennsylvania." (913.748 C223)

Native American Images note : Almost 2,000 black and white silver gelatin photographs, black and white negatives, ink and pencil sketches, maps, blueprints, and graphs of Seneca and other Haudenosaunee burial mounds excavated in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Historical Commission and the WPA from 1918-1948. The tumulus are located in northern, western, and central Pennsylvania, particularly Warren County's Cornplanter tract, with some mounds unearthed in western Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties of New York. Images include excavation sites with marked trenches; artifacts of tools, pottery, arrow points, and pipes; skeletal remains in burial vaults; Seneca workers; and diagrams of archeological finds. Referenced in Freeman's Guide to manuscripts relating to the American Indian and Supplement, David Van Keuren's The Proper Study of Mankind, an annotated bibliography of manuscript sources on anthropology and archeology, and Murphy Smith's Historical American Sketches.

Maps note : There are approximately 50 maps in this collection.

Digital objects note

This collection contains digital materials that are available in the APS Digital Library. Links to these materials are provided with context in the inventory of this finding aid. A general listing of digital objects may also be found here.

Collection Information

Physical description

38 items.

Restrictions

Restrictions on Use:

A summary on tumuli in Pennsylvania was written by Edward S. Carpenter (see PAAV 88A25). There are possible restrictions pertaining to the publication of this material.

Provenance

Presented by Edmund S. Carpenter and accessioned, 1948-1949.

Other finding aids

Freeman guide, #180. Realms of Gold, #49.

Related material

Summarized in Edmund S. Carpenter, Ancient Mounds of Pennsylvania (913.748 C223).

Indexing Terms


Corporate Name(s)

  • Pennsylvania Historical Commission.
  • United States.Work Projects Administration (Pa.)

Family Name(s)

  • Fisher, G. S.

Genre(s)

  • Blueprints.
  • Diagrams.
  • Gelatin silver prints
  • Graphs.
  • Maps.
  • Negatives
  • Photomechanical prints
  • Photoprints.
  • Sketches.

Geographic Name(s)

  • New York (State) -- Antiquities.
  • Pennsylvania -- Antiquities.

Personal Name(s)

  • Bird, Junius Bouton, 1907-1982
  • Biss, Wesley L.
  • Butler, Mary
  • Cadzow, Donald A.
  • Carpenter, Edmund, 1922-2011
  • Cresson, Francis C.
  • Gerrodette, F.
  • Gilmore, Raymond M. (Raymond Maurice), 1907-1983
  • Jones, Robert W.
  • Schoff, Harry L.
  • Skinner, Dorothy P.
  • Smith, Charles M.
  • Stewart, T. D. (Thomas Dale)
  • Thomas, Cyrus
  • Witthoft, John
  • Wright, Ross P.

Subject(s)

  • Archaeology
  • Excavations (Archaeology)
  • Human remains (Archaeology)
  • Indians of North America -- New York (State) -- Antiquities
  • Indians of North America -- Pennsylvania -- Antiquities
  • Iroquois Indians -- Antiquities
  • Seneca Indians -- Antiquities
  • Seneca Indians -- Implements


Detailed Inventory

No.1 Schoff, Harry L..
McFate site report on archaeological excavations, Crawford County, Pennsylvania
1938 

Native American Images note: 49 black and white photographs of excavation of a prehistoric Indian village. Images include landscapes, trenches, skeletal remains, arrowpoints, pipes, pottery, tools.

No.2 Cresson, Francis C..
Site report: summary of lists for Somerset and Fayette Counties, Pennsylvania
1941 

Native American Images note: 22 pencil sketches of skeletal remains and diagrams of excavation sites with location of finds.

No.3 Gilmore, Raymond M. (Raymond Maurice), 1907-1983.
Identification of faunal remains from Southwestern Pennsylvania, archaeological sites and reports of animal remains
1941 
No.4 Stewart, T. D. (Thomas Dale).
Skeletal remains from Fayette and Somerset County, Pennsylvania
1944 

Native American Images note: 5 black and white photographs of skeletal remains dated ca. 1550-1650.

No.5 Cresson, Francis C..
Archaeological survey of Somerset County, Pennsylvania
1941-1942 
No.6, part 1 Carpenter, Edmund, 1922-2011.
Materials relating to Brock Mound, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
1947 

Native American Images note: 1 pencil sketch of the excavation site at Brock Mound.

No.6, part 2 Carpenter, Edmund, 1922-2011.
Materials relating to Brock Mound, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
1947 

Native American Images note: 23 black and white photographs of artifacts found at the excavation site. Images include fragments of tools, pipes, pottery, arrow points, and diagrams of the site.

No.7 Schoff, Harry L..
Record of excavation of Brock village site, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania
1937 

Native American Images note: 4 black and white photographs, 1 ink sketch of tools, pottery fragments, plan of the Algonquin site, Muncy Creek township.

No.8 Miscellaneous reports on Johnson, Miller, Jacobs, Hook Run, Logan, Jimerson sites
1941 

Native American Images note: 117 black and white photographs, 44 black and white negatives of mounds, excavation sites, Seneca masks, artifact fragments from the Cornplanter reservation, Warren County, Pennsylvania; Cattaraugus County, New York; Scandia, Pennsylvania and others.

Other Descriptive Information: Edgar Augustine and/or Wesley Bliss.

 Johnson Halftown
1941 
 Seneca excavation site
1941 
 Seneca excavation site
1941 
No.9a, part 1 Cadzow, Donald A.. Schoff, Harry L..
Irvine Mound group materials, Warren County, Pennsylvania
1937 

Native American Images note: 19 black and white photographs, 50 black and white negatives of landscapes, excavation trenches, skeletal remains, tools, burial vaults at three ancient mounds at Irvine.

No.9a, part 2 Cadzow, Donald A.. Schoff, Harry L..
Irvine Mound group materials, Warren County, Pennsylvania
1937 

Native American Images note: 5 ink sketches of diagrams of excavation sites of Irvine mound, Warren County, Pennsylvania and Nelson mound, Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

No.9b Schoff, Harry L.. Cadzow, Donald A..
Irvine Mound group materials, Warren County, Pennsylvania
1937 

Native American Images note: 3 ink sketches of diagrams of excavation sites; 25 black and white photographs of tools, arrowpoints, and plans of burial mounds.

No.9c Schoff, Harry L.. Cadzow, Donald A..
Irvine Mound group materials, Warren County, Pennsylvania
1937 

Native American Images note: 24 black and white photographs, 20 black and white negatives, 6 sketches of diagrams of the excavation of Nathaniel Mound. Images include landscapes, excavation trenches, burial sites, arrowpoints,

No.10 Schoff, Harry L..
Nelson Mound materials
1938? 

Native American Images note: 2 black and white photographs, 4 maps of a small burial mound, diagrams and sketches of the central grave in Crawford County, Pennsylvania.

No.11 Jones, Robert W..
Book Mound materials
1929 

Native American Images note: 2 black and white photographs of mound in Beale township, Juniata County, Pennsylvania.

No.12 Cadzow, Donald A..
Archaeological explorations in Western Pennsylvania
1930-1935 

Native American Images note: 15 photomechanical prints of photographs and sketches of pottery, excavation sites, and diagrams of finds at 28th Street site, Erie, Pennsylvania.

No.13 Smith, Charles M..
Letters to Cyrus Thomas
1886 
No.14 Carpenter, Edmund, 1922-2011.
Spartansburg Mound materials
1934-1941 

Native American Images note: 24 black and white photographs, 5 black and white negatives, 17 ink sketches, 2 geological maps of the mound including images of artifacts, arrowheads, burial sites, tools, diagrams, and workers.

No.15 Carpenter, Edmund, 1922-2011.
Alleghany Valley materials
1941 

Native American Images note: 4 black and white photographs, 2 black and white negatives, 8 pencil sketches of excavations sites in Warren, Forest and Erie Counties.

No.16 Darlington Mound report
1918 

Native American Images note: 1 black and white photograph, 1 ink sketch of skeletal remains, diagram of site finds at Guyasutha mound, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

No.17 Biss, Wesley L..
Williams Mound report
1941 

Native American Images note: 41 black and white photographs, 20 black and white negatives, 2 sketches of excavation trenches, diagrams of site near Croydon, Warren County, Pennsylvania.

No.18 Jones, Robert W..
A report...upon Clemson's Mound
1929? 

Native American Images note: 22 ink sketches of plans and finds at the excavation site on an island in the Susquehanna River, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

No.19a, part 1 Gerrodette, F..
McKees Rock materials
1939 
No.19a, part 2 Gerrodette, F..
McKees Rock materials
1939 

Native American Images note: 8 black and white photographs, 7 sketches of artifacts found including images of arrowheads, tools, skeletal remains, pottery, and maps and diagrams of finds.

No.19b Gerrodette, F..
McKees Rock materials
1939 
No.20 Stewart, T. D. (Thomas Dale).
Skeletal remains from the Sugar Run Mounds
1945 

Native American Images note: 2 black and white photographs of skulls found at site in Warren County, Pennsylvania.

No.21a Sugar Run materials
1940 

Native American Images note: 107 black and white photographs, 34 black and white negatives of excavation sites of Northwest Pennsylvania. Images include excavation sites, skeletal reamins, tools, Seneca Indian workers.

No.21b Sugar Run materials
1940 

Native American Images note: 95 black and white photographs, 28 negatives of aerial views of the Alleghany Valley; near Kinzua, Pennsylvania; Cornplanter reservation; a fort near Pittsfield.

No.21c Sugar Run materials
1940 

Native American Images note: 196 black and white photographs, 57 black and white negatives of excavation sites in Warren County, Pennsylvania. Images include fire hearths, burial sites, tools, arrowpoints, pottery, pipes, skeletal remains, Seneca Indian workers.

No.21d Sugar Run materials
1940 

Native American Images note: 149 black and white photographs, 50 black and white negatives of excavations and mounds in Warren County, Pennsylvania. Images include mound construction, excavation trenches, cremation hearth, and Seneca Indian workers.

No.22 Fisher, G. S..
Southwest Pennsylvania materials
1937-1939 

Native American Images note: 4 pencil sketches of diagrams of site finds, maps, Indian figure.

No.23 Schoff, Harry L..
Reports
1931-1934 

Native American Images note: 35 black and white photographs, 9 sketches of Wheatland mound, Kip Island site, Eagle Bluff site in Seneca County, New York. Images include arrowpoints, tools, pipes, maps and diagrams of site finds.

No.24 Vandalia Mound materials
1941 

Native American Images note: 1 black and white photograph, 6 sketches of tools and diagrams of site in Cattaraugus County, New York.

No.25 Carpenter, Edmund, 1922-2011.
Materials on the 28th Street site and Wesleyville site, Erie County, Pennsylvania
1934 

Native American Images note: 60 black and white photographs, 27 negatives, 15 sketches, 6 photomechanical prints of excavation sites, skeletal remains, pottery, tools, pipes, and aerial views of the Erie County excavation sites.

 Cresson, Francis C..
Iroquois artifacts
1941 
 Pfirman, Kenneth R..
Iroquois effigy pipe
1941 
 Woodruff, D. E..
Iroquois excavation site
1934 
 Cadzow, Donald A..
Iroquois pottery
1934 
No.26 Skinner, Dorothy P..
Reports of Pennsylvania Archaeological survey
1929 

Native American Images note: 1 geological map, 5 ink sketches of rock shelter at Miller township, Perry County, Pennsylvania.

No.27 Profiles of Sugar Run sites
1939-1941 
No.28 Cresson, Francis C..
Photographs of sites and artifacts of Fort Hill, Martin, Phillips, and other locations
1941 

Native American Images note: 96 black and white photographs, 15 sketches of tools, skeletal remains, landscapes, excavation sites, jewelry, arrowpoints, pottery, pipes, Seneca Indian workers. Also, diagrams of Fort Hill, Gower, Recker, Peck, Troutman, Emerick, Powell, Martin, Phillips sites.

No.29 Witthoft, John.
Field drawings from the Sick site, South Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
1948 

Native American Images note: 1 ink sketch, 51 bluprints of locations of skeletal remains.