Life on the Conemaugh: Spatial Analysis of Artifact Densities of the Monongahela Tradition at the Johnston Site (36In2) in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Summary

The Johnston site (36In2) is associated with the Johnston Phase of the Monongahela tradition during the Late Prehistoric period in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Located on the Conemaugh River floodplain in Blairsville, Pennsylvania this large village site was excavated both in the 1950s by the Carnegie Museum and more recently by Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and is one of the largest known Monongahela sites. This project aimed to describe the artifact densities for this site to interpret the different types of activities that were conducted at various parts of site. Initial indicators suggested that differences existed among the three areas of this circular village: the plaza, stockade, and the domestic areas. However, the analysis of spatial distributions at the site is just beginning , I used Surfer9©- Golden Software to generate distribution maps for lithic and faunal materials coupled with graphs to suggest the contrasts in the activities that took place at these three areas of the village. Having personally worked at the Johnston site, it is exciting to see a more complete picture of the site developing that can be useful to further archaeological spatial analyses of this important site.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage