Ancient Indian village under investigation at West Beth drilling site
Scott Beveridge/Observer-Reporter
Archaeologists John Nass, left, and Don Rados look for evidence of Indian artifacts near a drilling operation Friday in West Bethlehem Township.
Shards of shell-tempered pottery that have been unearthed near a drilling operation in West Bethlehem Township
MARIANNA – The existence of an ancient Indian burial site has spurred archaeological digs at a Marcellus shale natural gas drilling operation near Marianna.
EQT has put a hold on the development of an artificial pond to serve the Hunter Pad in West Bethlehem Township to allow archaeologists to clear the site, a company spokeswoman said.
The company “wants to be a good corporate citizen” and work with the landowner to address concerns that there might be other burial sites at the location, EQT spokeswoman Linda Robertson said.
Karen LeBlanc, whose mother owns the property where EQT planned to build an impoundment to hold water, said her family has known for decades the property had ties to Indians who lived there about 1,000 years ago or longer.
LeBlanc said her grandfather, Abraham Phillips, was said to have discovered the grave of an Indian while he was digging a garden to plant corn about 80 years ago. The family reinterred the remains at a location that is no longer known, she said.
The discovery of other evidence, such as flint arrowheads, led to the property being registered in 1981 as an Indian village site with the state Historical and Museum Commission, state records indicate.
LeBlanc said she objected to the proposed impoundment location being across from the Highland Ridge Road home of her mother, Rose Friend, and reached out to California University of Pennsylvania for help.
John Nass, who has led numerous digs at sites associated with Indians in the region for his Cal U. classes, agreed to investigate Friend’s property.
Nass, who has since retired from the university, said his team found evidence in June that Indians known as Monongahela Culture occupied the area about 1000 to 1500 A.D. The evidence included shell-tempered pottery shards. In one of the small sections of earth that was sifted through, Nass’ team also found a triangular-shaped flint arrowhead in excellent condition.
The Monongahela Culture eventually abandoned this region, he said.
“There is a lot of debate about who they were and why they left,” said Nass, president of the Mon-Yough No. 3 chapter of the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology.
LeBlanc said she is not opposed to the EQT drilling operation.
“I just don’t want recycled frac water by my mother’s house,” she said.
Robertson said EQT intended to use the impoundment for fresh water. She said the company is exploring other options that include bringing in additional water storage tanks. EQT has a signed lease agreement dating to 2007 that includes surface development. Drilling already has commenced on the Hunter Pad, which is on a neighbor’s property, she said.
The state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Historical and Museum Commission worked with EQT on the archaeology plan after learning about the discovery of the artifacts, DEP spokeswoman Lauren Fraley said.
EQT also retained Christine Davis Consultants Inc. of Verona to conduct an archeological assessment and survey, Fraley said.
To date, no other burial site has been found on the property.