The Promise and Pitfalls of Geophysical Survey at Valley Forge NHP

Summary

The use of geophysical survey techniques to identify potential archeological deposits has a long history at Valley Forge NHP (VFNHP). As early as 1974, while it was still a state park, Dr. Bruce Bevan conducted magnetometer and GPR surveys of some of the brigade areas. Since 2011, archeologists at VFNHP have undertaken a series of geophysical surveys aimed at identifying possible encampment related features. The surveys produced a series of promising anomalies, many of which have been tested through excavation. Although no definitive encampment-era remains have been identified as a result of these recent surveys, the anomalies did correspond to deposits from other cultural periods. The results of these surveys have demonstrated that, when combined with historical research, geophysical techniques are useful tools to identify areas likely to contain archeological features at VFNHP.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Archeological Stewardship and Science in the National Park Service

Keywords

Spatial Coverage