Editorial Standards \u24d8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Meadowcroft Rockshelter in Avella, Pennsylvania, is open for the season, offering visitors a chance to explore the site of the earliest known evidence of human activity in North America, dating back 19,000 years. Discovery of the siteIn 1955, Albert Miller, a farmer and amateur archeologist, discovered artifacts unearthed by a groundhog while walking under a large rock overhang above Cross Creek. Miller suspected the area had been a campsite for prehistoric people and spent 18 years searching for a professional archeologist to excavate the site. “Albert knew his theory that people had camped under that long ago was correct. And, he kept quiet about his find. He enlarged the hole. He found more artifacts and spent the next 18 years trying to find a professional archeologist to excavate. He knew it should be done professionally,” said David Scofield, director of Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village.Why the site was preservedScofield explained how the site\u2019s unique geography contributed to its preservation. “We go back 70-plus thousand years ago, as Cross Creek was starting to cut down through the valley, the water would have been all the way up at the top, it was cutting down through the valley over thousands of years,” he said.Excavation beginsIn 1973, the University of Pittsburgh tasked Dr. James Adavasio, a 29-year-old faculty member, with leading an archeological field school at the site. By 1974, radiocarbon dating results from the Smithsonian confirmed the site\u2019s age, challenging existing theories about when humans first arrived in North America. “And it wasn’t long before they realized the site is older and deeper than anyone had anticipated. And by 1974, they got the first radiocarbon dates back from the Smithsonian and just blew everybody away. No one anticipated this site was that old,” Scofield said.Scientific debate and national attentionThe findings made front-page news in the Washington Post on August 4, 1974, and sparked international debate. “It did, because, you know, it challenged the paradigm at the time, of when people arrived in North America. And so, it was received with some skepticism and, what I have learned in my years working with archeologists is that they can be pretty brutal to each other,” Scofield said.Evidence that changed historyDespite criticism, Adavasio continued testing and presenting evidence, ultimately vindicating Miller\u2019s discovery.Radiocarbon dating revealed that the site predates the Clovis people, who were previously believed to be the earliest inhabitants of North America, by 5,000 years. Understanding the timeline”The deeper you dig, the further back in time you go in history. The surface is present day. Just a few inches down you see 1775. That’s about the time George Washington was hanging out in Western PA. There you see another ten inches down or so, the year 1265. That’s the date. And the deepest part of this dig dates back 19,000 years,” said Shannon Perrine, summarizing the timeline revealed by the excavation. Scofield reflected on Miller\u2019s legacy, saying, “He was a remarkable man, very, very curious, loved learning. And, he was very proud of what was found here.” Visitors to Meadowcroft can now stand where prehistoric people once stood and witness the layers of history preserved by millennia of sediment. “You can come stand where prehistoric people stood. Where else are you going to do that?” Scofield said.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The Meadowcroft Rockshelter in Avella, Pennsylvania, is open for the season, offering visitors a chance to explore the site of the earliest known evidence of human activity in North America, dating back 19,000 years. <\/p>\n
Discovery of the site<\/p>\n
In 1955, Albert Miller, a farmer and amateur archeologist, discovered artifacts unearthed by a groundhog while walking under a large rock overhang above Cross Creek. Miller suspected the area had been a campsite for prehistoric people and spent 18 years searching for a professional archeologist to excavate the site. <\/p>\n
“Albert knew his theory that people had camped under that long ago was correct. And, he kept quiet about his find. He enlarged the hole. He found more artifacts and spent the next 18 years trying to find a professional archeologist to excavate. He knew it should be done professionally,” said David Scofield, director of Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village.<\/p>\n
Why the site was preserved<\/p>\n
Scofield explained how the site\u2019s unique geography contributed to its preservation. “We go back 70-plus thousand years ago, as Cross Creek was starting to cut down through the valley, the water would have been all the way up at the top, it was cutting down through the valley over thousands of years,” he said.<\/p>\n
Excavation begins<\/p>\n
In 1973, the University of Pittsburgh tasked Dr. James Adavasio, a 29-year-old faculty member, with leading an archeological field school at the site. By 1974, radiocarbon dating results from the Smithsonian confirmed the site\u2019s age, challenging existing theories about when humans first arrived in North America. <\/p>\n
“And it wasn’t long before they realized the site is older and deeper than anyone had anticipated. And by 1974, they got the first radiocarbon dates back from the Smithsonian and just blew everybody away. No one anticipated this site was that old,” Scofield said.<\/p>\n
Scientific debate and national attention<\/p>\n
The findings made front-page news in the Washington Post on August 4, 1974, and sparked international debate. “It did, because, you know, it challenged the paradigm at the time, of when people arrived in North America. And so, it was received with some skepticism and, what I have learned in my years working with archeologists is that they can be pretty brutal to each other,” Scofield said.<\/p>\n
Evidence that changed history<\/p>\n
Despite criticism, Adavasio continued testing and presenting evidence, ultimately vindicating Miller\u2019s discovery.<\/p>\n
Radiocarbon dating revealed that the site predates the Clovis people, who were previously believed to be the earliest inhabitants of North America, by 5,000 years. <\/p>\n
Understanding the timeline<\/p>\n
“The deeper you dig, the further back in time you go in history. The surface is present day. Just a few inches down you see 1775. That’s about the time George Washington was hanging out in Western PA. There you see another ten inches down or so, the year 1265. That’s the date. And the deepest part of this dig dates back 19,000 years,” said Shannon Perrine, summarizing the timeline revealed by the excavation. <\/p>\n
Scofield reflected on Miller\u2019s legacy, saying, “He was a remarkable man, very, very curious, loved learning. And, he was very proud of what was found here.” <\/p>\n
Visitors to Meadowcroft can now stand where prehistoric people once stood and witness the layers of history preserved by millennia of sediment. “You can come stand where prehistoric people stood. Where else are you going to do that?” Scofield said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TAKING A STEP BACK IN TIME, THE HISTORIC VILLAGE AT MEADOWCROFT IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA IS OPEN FOR THE…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":183891,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[82030,82039,13637,82038,82031,24410,82032,3231,82033,82034,94,82036,18913,4206,7725,28,30,29,523,82037,82035,5691,2553,78],"class_list":["post-183890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-albert-miller","tag-amateur-archeologist","tag-avella","tag-cross-creek","tag-david-scofield","tag-discovery","tag-dr-james-adavasio","tag-evidence","tag-farmer-and-amateur-archeologist","tag-groundhog-discovery","tag-history","tag-human-activity","tag-meadowcroft-rockshelter","tag-miller","tag-north-america","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news","tag-people","tag-prehistoric-people","tag-radiocarbon-dating-results","tag-site","tag-university-of-pittsburgh","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183890\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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