Household No. 1 Site
Encyclopedia
The Household No. 1 Site is an archaeological site
in Westmoreland County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Located off Timms Lane in Rostraver Township, the site lies on a bluff above the Youghiogheny River
.
Local archaeologists knew of the site in the early part of the twentieth century; the best records of the site are from amateur George Fisher, who studied the area from 1900 to 1950. More complete records were obtained after a 1980 investigation, which was part of the planning for the construction of baseball field
s in the vicinity. Because archaeologists discovered a significant range of artifacts in the location, the fields were moved to allow for continued excavation. This investigation determined that the site was that of a Monongahela
village.
Evidence of warfare dominated the findings from the Household 1 Site. Many burials were present at the site — including sixteen at the site of one house alone — projectile point
s composed a much larger percentage of the total findings than did domestic tools. Furthermore, the small total number of artifacts overall shows that the site was only occupied for a short period of time, and its location on a river bluff suggests that its site was chosen for defensibility. These discoveries, like those at many other Monongahela village sites, demonstrate that the Household residents lived in a highly martial culture.
In 1986, the Household Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
for its archaeological significance.
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 Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 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 off Timms Lane in Rostraver Township, the site lies on a bluff above the Youghiogheny River
Youghiogheny River
The Youghiogheny River , or the Yough for short, is a tributary of the Monongahela River in the U.S. states of West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania...
.
Local archaeologists knew of the site in the early part of the twentieth century; the best records of the site are from amateur George Fisher, who studied the area from 1900 to 1950. More complete records were obtained after a 1980 investigation, which was part of the planning for the construction of baseball field
Baseball field
A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The terms "baseball field" and "ball field" are also often used as synonyms for ballpark.-Specifications:...
s in the vicinity. Because archaeologists discovered a significant range of artifacts in the location, the fields were moved to allow for continued excavation. This investigation determined that the site was that of 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.
Evidence of warfare dominated the findings from the Household 1 Site. Many burials were present at the site — including sixteen at the site of one house alone — projectile point
Projectile point
In archaeological terms, a projectile point is an object that was hafted to a projectile, such as a spear, dart, or arrow, or perhaps used as a knife....
s composed a much larger percentage of the total findings than did domestic tools. Furthermore, the small total number of artifacts overall shows that the site was only occupied for a short period of time, and its location on a river bluff suggests that its site was chosen for defensibility. These discoveries, like those at many other Monongahela village sites, demonstrate that the Household residents lived in a highly martial culture.
In 1986, the Household Site was added to 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...
for its archaeological significance.
See also
- List of Native American archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania