Fisher Site
Encyclopedia
The Fisher Site is an archaeological site
in northwestern Greene County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Located along a tributary of Wheeling Creek
in northern Richhill Township, it was once occupied by a Monongahela
village. It has been ranked as one of southwestern Pennsylvania's most important locations for prehistoric preservation
.
of the Enlow Fork, occupying a relatively rare clearing in the predominately wooded hills of northern Greene County. Wooded lands around the site and along the Enlow Fork are part of State Game Lands 302
, a public hunting and fishing preserve.
wells in the area. Fourteen years passed before an archaeological investigation was conducted at the site; testing conducted by this investigation revealed it to be a Late Woodland
village site. A third excavation, carried out much more meticulously than either of the others, was completed shortly before 1981.
Nearly 1,100 artifacts were recovered from the test pits of the third excavation, including animal bones, stone tools, and over 500 potsherds
of various styles. Among the potsherds were pieces decorated with unusual geometric designs; no other site is known to have produced pottery with these designs.
for coal in the region. In contrast to this common situation, the Enlow Fork in the vicinity of the Fisher Site is quite undeveloped; only small roads traverse the region, and — unlike in southern Richhill Township — no gas wells operate nearby. The pristine condition of the site and the likelihood that it will yield information about the little-known Drew Phase has led it to be assessed as highly worthy of preservation. In accordance with this goal, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
in northwestern Greene County
Greene County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,672 people, 15,060 households, and 10,587 families residing in the county. The population density was 71 people per square mile . There were 16,678 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located along a tributary of Wheeling Creek
Wheeling Creek (West Virginia)
Wheeling Creek is a tributary of the Ohio River, 25 miles long, in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia in the United States, with a watershed extending into southwestern Pennsylvania. Via the Ohio River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
in northern Richhill Township, it was once occupied by a Monongahela
Monongahela tribe
The Monongahela culture were a Native American cultural manifestation of Late Woodland peoples in present-day western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and West Virginia from AD 1050 to 1635...
village. It has been ranked as one of southwestern Pennsylvania's most important locations for prehistoric preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
.
Location
The Fisher Site lies in the floodplainFloodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
of the Enlow Fork, occupying a relatively rare clearing in the predominately wooded hills of northern Greene County. Wooded lands around the site and along the Enlow Fork are part of State Game Lands 302
Pennsylvania State Game Lands
The Pennsylvania State Game Lands are lands managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission for hunting, trapping, and fishing. These lands, often not usable for farming or development, are donated to the PGC or purchased by the PGC with hunting license monies.The Pennsylvania Game Commission runs a...
, a public hunting and fishing preserve.
Profile
Testing has revealed that the village was part of the Drew Phase of the Monongahela; it was the tenth Drew site to be identified. The location of the Fisher Site in bottomland distinguishes it from all previously-known Drew sites and most other Monongahela villages; due to the frequent warfare among the Monongahela, their villages were typically built on hilltops.Excavations
Although property owners had collected surface artifacts at the site since at least the early 1940s, the Fisher Site was first observed in 1962 during testing to reveal natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
wells in the area. Fourteen years passed before an archaeological investigation was conducted at the site; testing conducted by this investigation revealed it to be a Late Woodland
Woodland period
The Woodland period of North American pre-Columbian cultures was from roughly 1000 BCE to 1000 CE in the eastern part of North America. The term "Woodland Period" was introduced in the 1930s as a generic header for prehistoric sites falling between the Archaic hunter-gatherers and the...
village site. A third excavation, carried out much more meticulously than either of the others, was completed shortly before 1981.
Nearly 1,100 artifacts were recovered from the test pits of the third excavation, including animal bones, stone tools, and over 500 potsherds
Sherd
In archaeology, a sherd is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments of stone and glass vessels as well....
of various styles. Among the potsherds were pieces decorated with unusual geometric designs; no other site is known to have produced pottery with these designs.
Preservation
Intensive industrialization in the river valleys of southwestern Pennsylvania has likely destroyed most of the region's Monongahela sites originally located in floodplains. Moreover, it is possible that many unknown sites have been destroyed during the process of surface miningSurface mining
Surface mining , is a type of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed...
for coal in the region. In contrast to this common situation, the Enlow Fork in the vicinity of the Fisher Site is quite undeveloped; only small roads traverse the region, and — unlike in southern Richhill Township — no gas wells operate nearby. The pristine condition of the site and the likelihood that it will yield information about the little-known Drew Phase has led it to be assessed as highly worthy of preservation. In accordance with this goal, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
See also
- List of Native American archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Further reading
- Michael, Ronald L. Archaeological Study for Wheeling Creek Watershed Site PA-648, Greene and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania. UniontownUniontown, PennsylvaniaUniontown is a city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. Population in 1900, 7,344; in 1910, 13,344; in 1920, 15,692; and in 1940, 21,819. The population was 10,372 at the 2010 census...
: NPW, 1981.