Francis Farm Petroglyphs
Encyclopedia
The Francis Farm Petroglyphs are a group of petroglyph
s in the southwestern part of the U.S. state
of Pennsylvania
. Located on a boulder in Jefferson Township
in the northwestern portion of Fayette County
, it has been known to archaeologists
since at least the middle of the nineteenth century. Despite damage in the 1930s, it remains an important archaeological site
, and accordingly, it has been designated a historic site
.
, a more precise identification is believed to be impossible. Archaeologists have proposed that the creators were such peoples as the Monongahela or the ancestors of the Shawnee
, both of whom are known to have inhabited southwestern Pennsylvania during the latter portions of the Woodland period
.
in Jefferson Township, approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) west of Perryopolis
and 5.2 miles (8.4 km) north of Brownsville
; its elevation is 1140 feet (347.5 m). This outcrop is a roughly rectangular piece of Dunkard
-series sandstone
, measuring 6.3 metres (20.7 ft) from north to south and 5.7 metres (18.7 ft) from east to west. Its upper surface, upon which the petroglyphs are carven, slants toward the ground; the western end rises 3.2 metres (10.5 ft) above the surface, while the eastern edge is level with the surface of the ground. Several similar boulders lie in the petroglyph's immediate vicinity, although none feature Native American petroglyphs. The site lies in the middle of woodlands; trees and brush grow up to the stone's edge.
for the construction of a road. Incisions on the other four stones remain in fine condition; however, they are clearly modern works, for among their inscriptions are various Latin letters
and depictions of firearms.
At least sixteen different carvings are present on the primary outcrop, divided into seven different categories: artifacts, geometric figures, the human body, mammals, reptiles, a shape resembling the letter "W," and various small pits. Some of the carvings include multiple parts; for example, design 13 is composed of seven small pits, also known as "nut-cracker holes". The most common subject is the human body; designs 2 and 10 depict a complete human form, while designs 1 and 15 are images of human heads. Other images include what is believed to be the mythological "spirit otter
" (design 5), a four-footed animal (design 6), and a rattlesnake (design 11). What has been called the letter "W", which also has been found at other petroglyph sites, may be an abstract form; archaeologist James L. Swauger
called it a "W" for the sake of simplicity. A small number of carvings, such as arrows and hook-like shapes, are believed to be the work of recent vandals.
The presence of amorphous shapes among the carvings is typical of Native American petroglyphs. Although their meanings are not known, their resemblance to shapes found at similar sites elsewhere in the upper Ohio River
valley indicates that many of these sites were produced by the same, or similar cultures
. Other designs common to these petroglyphs include the shapes and the footprints of birds, humans, and other mammals.
archaeologist James Swauger officially documented the site in late 1958. Despite this widespread documentation, the site has remained remarkably free from damage; natural processes have eroded it somewhat, and Swauger was unable to find certain elements documented by previous surveys, but these aspects are exceptions: almost all designs present in early renditions of the site remain easily distinguished today.
At the time of the European settlement of southwestern Pennsylvania, several petroglyphs were present within Fayette County's
present boundaries. Among the sites that survived into modern times were ones known as the New Geneva Petroglyphs, the Petroglyphs Opposite Millsboro, and the Dunn Farm Petroglyphs. Many sites in the upper Ohio River valley, including several in Fayette County, were destroyed in the late twentieth century, making the Francis Farm site extremely valuable for future students of Native American petroglyphy. Because of their archaeological value, the Francis Farm Petroglyphs were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984.
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s in the southwestern part of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. Located on a boulder in Jefferson Township
Jefferson Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Jefferson Township is a township in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,259 at the 2000 census. It is named for former president Thomas Jefferson, and many of the township's streets are named after other U.S. presidents...
in the northwestern portion of Fayette County
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, it has been known to archaeologists
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
since at least the middle of the nineteenth century. Despite damage in the 1930s, it remains an important archaeological site
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,...
, and accordingly, it has been designated a historic site
Historic site
A historic site is an official location where pieces of political, military or social history have been preserved. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have recognized with the official national historic site status...
.
Creation
Although it is certain that the Francis Farm site was produced by Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, a more precise identification is believed to be impossible. Archaeologists have proposed that the creators were such peoples as the Monongahela or the ancestors of the Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
, both of whom are known to have inhabited southwestern Pennsylvania during the latter portions of the Woodland period
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...
.
Geology
The petroglyph site is located on a large outcropOutcrop
An outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. -Features:Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial deposits are covered by a mantle of soil and vegetation and cannot be...
in Jefferson Township, approximately 2.6 miles (4.2 km) west of Perryopolis
Perryopolis, Pennsylvania
Perryopolis is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,764 at the 2000 census.-History:George Washington purchased here when land first became available. He visited in 1770 and said, "as fine a land as I have ever seen, a great deal of rich meadow; it is well...
and 5.2 miles (8.4 km) north of Brownsville
Brownsville, Pennsylvania
Brownsville is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, officially founded in 1785 located 35 miles south of Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River...
; its elevation is 1140 feet (347.5 m). This outcrop is a roughly rectangular piece of Dunkard
Dunkard Group
The Permian Dunkard Group is an area of rock, Early Permian in age, in the south of Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the hilltops of the Georges Creek Basin of Maryland. It is found primarily in Washington County. It is notable for being one of the few areas of Permian sediment...
-series sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, measuring 6.3 metres (20.7 ft) from north to south and 5.7 metres (18.7 ft) from east to west. Its upper surface, upon which the petroglyphs are carven, slants toward the ground; the western end rises 3.2 metres (10.5 ft) above the surface, while the eastern edge is level with the surface of the ground. Several similar boulders lie in the petroglyph's immediate vicinity, although none feature Native American petroglyphs. The site lies in the middle of woodlands; trees and brush grow up to the stone's edge.
Petroglyphs
Six different outcrops on the Francis Farm have been used for the creation of petroglyphs, although only one today bears Native American carvings. One other boulder, located to the east of the primary stone, once bore similar Native American carvings, however, local residents have reported that it was destroyed in the 1930s, while the surrounding land was being quarriedQuarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
for the construction of a road. Incisions on the other four stones remain in fine condition; however, they are clearly modern works, for among their inscriptions are various Latin letters
Latin alphabet
The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
and depictions of firearms.
At least sixteen different carvings are present on the primary outcrop, divided into seven different categories: artifacts, geometric figures, the human body, mammals, reptiles, a shape resembling the letter "W," and various small pits. Some of the carvings include multiple parts; for example, design 13 is composed of seven small pits, also known as "nut-cracker holes". The most common subject is the human body; designs 2 and 10 depict a complete human form, while designs 1 and 15 are images of human heads. Other images include what is believed to be the mythological "spirit otter
Underwater panther
An Underwater panther is a powerful creature in the mythological traditions of some Native American tribes, particularly Anishinaabe tribes, the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi, of the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States...
" (design 5), a four-footed animal (design 6), and a rattlesnake (design 11). What has been called the letter "W", which also has been found at other petroglyph sites, may be an abstract form; archaeologist James L. Swauger
James L. Swauger
James L. Swauger was an archaeologist known for his work on the petroglyphs of the Ohio River valley of the United States...
called it a "W" for the sake of simplicity. A small number of carvings, such as arrows and hook-like shapes, are believed to be the work of recent vandals.
The presence of amorphous shapes among the carvings is typical of Native American petroglyphs. Although their meanings are not known, their resemblance to shapes found at similar sites elsewhere in the upper Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
valley indicates that many of these sites were produced by the same, or similar cultures
Archaeological culture
An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...
. Other designs common to these petroglyphs include the shapes and the footprints of birds, humans, and other mammals.
Recognition
The Francis Farm Petroglyphs have been known since at least the middle of the nineteenth century. Written in 1843, Sherman Day's Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania makes reference to the site, as do authors from 1893, 1930, and 1934. Carnegie Museum of Natural HistoryCarnegie Museum of Natural History
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, located at 4400 Forbes Avenue in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, was founded by the Pittsburgh-based industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1896...
archaeologist James Swauger officially documented the site in late 1958. Despite this widespread documentation, the site has remained remarkably free from damage; natural processes have eroded it somewhat, and Swauger was unable to find certain elements documented by previous surveys, but these aspects are exceptions: almost all designs present in early renditions of the site remain easily distinguished today.
At the time of the European settlement of southwestern Pennsylvania, several petroglyphs were present within Fayette County's
Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Fayette County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the2010 census, the population was 136,606. The county is part of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area....
present boundaries. Among the sites that survived into modern times were ones known as the New Geneva Petroglyphs, the Petroglyphs Opposite Millsboro, and the Dunn Farm Petroglyphs. Many sites in the upper Ohio River valley, including several in Fayette County, were destroyed in the late twentieth century, making the Francis Farm site extremely valuable for future students of Native American petroglyphy. Because of their archaeological value, the Francis Farm Petroglyphs were 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 1984.
See also
- List of Native American archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Further reading
- Cadzow, Donald. "Petroglyphs (Rock Carvings) in the Susquehanna River near Safe Harbor, Pennsylvania". Safe Harbor Report No. 1. HarrisburgHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
: Pennsylvania Historical Commission, 1934.